Indo-UK: News & Discussion

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 24 Jun 2008 09:42

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Busi ... 154724.cms

(The mother country has called for us to be given greater say on the global stage, including at forums like World Bank, IMF and G8, to help tame inflation in the worldwide commodity prices.

)

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 24 Jun 2008 10:36

it will change nothing as far as the price of commodities goes.

montybal · Post by **montybal** » 27 Jun 2008 03:21

(Transfered from deleted thread, as requested)

First, let me start off by saying I've stalked this site for years now, great site (although, I'm curious to know why the websites of the various branches of the military are no longer updated, I need new pictures to ooh and aah at!), but I've always felt that I've been far too stupid to actually be able to post here. However, it seems to me that it is worth risking looking stupid today, as I feel this is the one place where I hope I can be helped in finding the answers I seek. And I do apologize in advance if this is not the right forum discussion for this matter.

A brief introduction. I was born in India (Hoshiarpur Punjab), lived there till about 8, moved to the US where I've lived, well until last year. After doing a BSc in Business Administration and Management and Boston University, I worked for a bit and came to the conclusion I was no business man. Instead, I turned to my second passion: politics. Currently, I'm in the process of completing my masters in European Politics at the University of Surrey (UK), with September being the deadline to hand in my dissertation on German and British foreign policy towards Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan during the early years of the Yeltsin's leadership in Russia (I'll let you work out how all that is connected).

Seeing that I'll be completing my masters, I hope to graduate with a merit, I've been urged by both classmates and professors to think about continuing for a PHd (which in reality is what I've always wanted to do anyways). I've been thinking that I will "return" to India by conducting my studies on Indian and European Union relations (or perhaps Indian and British relations), such that I can utilize my current degree.

It seems to me western universities, and particularly those here in the UK, have a limited number of experts on India. Having looked at the areas of supervision available, and more importantly for me the scholarships available, they are largely targeted towards China or South East Asia. So, I'm seeking advice in two matters. First, as most of you are well read on western coverage on India, would you know of any particular universities or professors in the UK who are "India experts". Secondly, and more importantly, although there is a very good likelihood that I could get placement in Surrey with a £10,000 teaching assistantship, seeing that I'd still be unable to my international student fees and my living expenses, would you know any sources of funding for individuals of Indian heritage (although, I am somewhat unsure if taking this funding would be morally justifiable as I've lived outside of India most my life, though I still am an Indian national). Or what would make me more comfortable, any sources of funding for individuals who are conducting research on India that might be available.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 27 Jun 2008 06:44

montybal wrote:, would you know of any particular universities or professors in the UK who are "India experts".

One of the expressions that many people on this forum (including myself) are allergic to is "India Expert" in West. In truth, no such animal exists to my knowledge. Oh yes there are people who are called 'India experts" but are not for many reasons.

I will try and spell out very briefly why I say this.

In the first place, all "India Experts" of the West have reached their positions by studying (hopefully) the material that has been written about India sometime in the last 100 to 200 years. Unfortunately a lot of this material is biased trash written from the viewpoint of some side or the other without a grasp of an Indian ethos or Indian history.

Secondly, India experts of Indian origin are now many and their writings are now becoming more numerous and better known, but in my opinion it will be at least a century before India experts of India origin can bring out enough material to refute and re-write what has already been written by small people. Add to this the fact that India experts of Indian origin heading Western departments are rare.

So is there no hope for a person such as yourself.

This is how I see it. You will have to "manage with" whoever is available, good or bad. But always remember that the gut knowledge that your Indian background and Indian extended family give you about India may hold more insights about India than any India expert Professor can give you.

If you keep this in mind - it is possible that you can become a genuine India expert yourself.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 27 Jun 2008 23:17

Prince Charles turns to Lakshmi Mittal, Ratan Tata for charity support
22 Jun, 2008, 1058 hrs IST, PTI

LONDON: Prince Charles has appealed to Asian billionaires including Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and Tata chief Ratan Tata to help him protect the environment, preserve historic buildings and support the young unemployed throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Prince Charles has invited some of India's richest tycoons to see his Prince's Trust in action in the East end of London, and to a series of working lunches and formal dinners at Clarence House and Kensington Palace next month, The Sunday Times reported today.

His guest list includes Mukesh Ambani, whose 21 billion pounds wealth is thought to make him the richest Indian, Ratan Tata, who recently bought Jaguar, K P Singh, the world's wealthiest property developer, worth about 15 billion pounds and Lakshmi Mittal, Britain's richest man.

Their support could give the prince's new project more financial muscle than almost any other charity.

Sources close to the prince said his British Asian Trust would stage concerts, sporting events and fashion shows and invest in local charities and communities to help them to help themselves.

How the mighty have fallen!

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 28 Jun 2008 02:47

I hope by mighty here you mean the Indian tycoons, because if they fall for this it will be embarrasingly craven. Why do we need the "Prince's Trust" to "protect the environment, preserve historic buildings and support the young unemployed throughout the Indian subcontinent"?

He should try this in Europe, maybe Germany or Spain, hell even Italy - I hear the environment there is not in its best health, historic buildings could do with some help, and unemployment, well that's a whole different tale of woe... Lets see what those countries make of the "Prince's Trust"...

ranganathan · Post by **ranganathan** » 28 Jun 2008 03:03

Why should "Indian" tycoons spend for the sub-continent? They only need help their fellow country men if anything. The paki and Beedees can rot in hell.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 28 Jun 2008 03:47

Prince Charles has established his environmental bona fides, this is not that dolt Prince Philip. Although he is almost certainly doing it as PR, it may well be useful. Have the Ambanis, Singhs etc shown an iota of envrnmental concern?

I agree that Pakistan and BD should be strictly excluded unless it concerns Sikh, Buddhist or Hindu sites.

G Subramaniam · Post by **G Subramaniam** » 28 Jun 2008 05:35

sanjaykumar wrote:Prince Charles has established his environmental bona fides, this is not that dolt Prince Philip. Although he is almost certainly doing it as PR, it may well be useful. Have the Ambanis, Singhs etc shown an iota of envrnmental concern?

I agree that Pakistan and BD should be strictly excluded unless it concerns Sikh, Buddhist or Hindu sites.

And how much of this funding is channeled through EJs

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 30 Jun 2008 07:55

For the sake of viewers (and their hard earned money), the movie will not let viewers hanging at the end about sexual nature of the relationship between Nehru and Edwina.

Was Nehru coerced by Mountbatten through Edwina? It seems like yet another nail in Nehru's coffin.

Also the article says if this relationship were to be disclosed during 1948, there would have been a massive war between India and Pakistan. Why?

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080630/j ... 481780.jsp

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 01 Jul 2008 14:09

The sometimes ugly side of racism in Britain,which in this case is not from the have-nots,but the very well-heeled!Our sympathies are with Mr.Subramaniam.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... thday.html

'Racist' riot at millionaire's daughter's 18th birthday
By Nick Allen
Last Updated: 9:23PM BST 30/06/2008
A lavish 18th birthday party thrown by a millionaire for his daughter descended into a "football riot" after he made racially insulting comments in front of 150 guests, a court heard.

Mark Chopping with his daughter Cydney
The champagne reception at businessman Mark Chopping's £1 million mansion quickly turned into a mass brawl with fights spilling out of a marquee and on to the front drive.

During the melee Asian caterer Sanjeev Subramanian, 40, had a glass smashed in his face as a screaming mob yelled racist abuse and told him to "go back to the bush".

A jury at Guildford Crown Court convicted one of the guests, Nicky Chequer, 19, of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Subramanian, whose injuries were so serious he needed plastic surgery.

Article continuesadvertisement

The brawl also led to the birthday girl, Cydney Chopping, being charged with perverting the course of justice after she was accused of trying to prevent detectives discovering Mr Chequer's identity.

Miss Chopping, now 19, was found not guilty and fought back tears as she blamed her father for ruining her birthday and causing all the trouble with his "racist" jokes.

She said: "I hate him with a passion. I didn't speak to my dad for four months. My mum and dad were going to get divorced."

Mr Subramanian said that when he arrived for the party in Tadworth, Surrey on April 7 last year he was greeted by Mr Chopping with the words: "Come this way. It's £4 for blacks and £2 for whites."

Prosecutor Robin Sellers said that, later in the evening, Mr Chopping made similar "racist" comments over the microphone which outraged many party-goers and led to an explosion of violence.

A group of angry guests confronted Mr Chopping on the dance floor after his comments but others went to his aid.

As a fracas unfolded Mr Subramanian went to the rescue of a badly beaten guest who was pouring with blood.

He was then confronted by a group shouting racist remarks, the court heard.

Mr Subramanian said one youth grabbed his arms and moments later a glass was smashed into his face by Chequer.

He said: "I knew it was serious. I was covered in blood and I could just feel hot blood all over my neck, face and body."

According to Chequer the group shouting racial abuse at Mr Subramanian included Lewis Sproston, boyfriend of the model Sally Ann Bowman who was murdered in Croydon, south London in 2005.

Chequer told the court he himself was not part of that group and disassociated himself from the racist comments.

He claimed Mr Subramanian had knocked a friend of his to the floor unconscious and that he acted in self-defence.

He admitted drinking a large quantity of Jack Daniels and Coke during the evening and leaving the scene immediately after the caterer was seriously injured.

Police later recovered emails between Chequer and Cydney Chopping in which she described him as "my little trouble-maker".

Chequer was remanded on bail until July 25 for sentence.

Det Supt Neville Blackwood of Surrey Police said "This has been an extensive enquiry in order to identify the person responsible for inflicting the horrific injuries on Mr. Subramanian.

"I hope the verdict goes some way to help Sanjeev and his family, put the events that occurred on that night behind them."

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 01 Jul 2008 16:29

This is the true face of England and yet they blame asians for not doing enough to integrate in the society !! who the fu** would be stupid to integrate in the society like this where slave mentality exists ?

sampat · Post by **sampat** » 01 Jul 2008 16:33

Same article from daily mail with little more tidbits.. Police dont take these attcaks seriously-..
Daily mail

No charges have been brought against Mr Chopping in relation to the assault.

Chequer was bailed until July 25 for sentencing.

However the investigation is now subject to a review by police after it emerged that Surrey Police only investigated the assault after Mr Subramanian's local MP Paul Burstow intervened on his behalf a month later.

Mr Subramanian told the court: 'I had my face hanging off, you could see my cheekbone and I was covered in blood and a policeman came up to me and said if you want to leave it at that we will leave it at that.

'I thought they would take it more seriously than that. Even the paramedic looked shocked.'

prashanth · Post by **prashanth** » 03 Jul 2008 21:39

ashish raval wrote:This is the true face of England and yet they blame asians for not doing enough to integrate in the society !! who the fu** would be stupid to integrate in the society like this where slave mentality exists ?

This is not just racism as it was in south africa. The english cannot digest the fact that the richest person in Britain is an asian, and Indians dominate the steel industries. Such incidents are the side effects of India's increasing influence in Europe. Nevertheless India can make use of such oppurtunities to its advantage.

haresh_singh · Post by **haresh_singh** » 04 Jul 2008 02:14

I was born here and have lived here all my life (apart from approx 1 year in Shimla).
The problem with the Brits is they are having a real problem accepting that they are not top dog anymore.
They look down on "asians" in general and can't quite accept the fact that one of their ex colonies is a rising star.

This film clip from the 70's series "It ain't half hot mum" gives a clue to how some still think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dn86jcg ... re=related

I am not saying they are all like this, but you do get a feeling that there is a great deal of bitterness and resentment at India's rise.
The sort of things you hear are probably the same as what you may have heard during the decline and fall of Rome.
"We were great once" "We had an empire" we used to rule these savages".

Having said that I think it will take a period of adjustment and after that they will just get used to it.
I think the Indian High Commission could do more.Surely it isn't too difficult to hire a publicity firm to make sure that there is at least 1 positive story in the UK media per day.
Alot of people here probably don't realise that India is one of the UK's biggest trading partners and this trade safe guards UK jobs.
There has never been any mention of Indo-UK military cooperation, not even a whisper in the mainstream media.

The story about the race attack although sad is not very common, I have never had any serious problems. It really isn't that bad, believe me.
The Brits will change when they see the business opportunities India offers, only this time they will be trading at the very least as equals.

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 04 Jul 2008 09:43

LONDON: Professionals and graduates from elite British universities are making a beeline for India, thanks to its booming economy, closer trade relations between the two countries and numerous job opportunities there.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Busi ... 194029.cms

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 04 Jul 2008 09:48

"India continues to share a strong business relationship with the UK. The results show 75 projects from India with well over 19,000 associated jobs," Jane Owen, director of UK Trade and Investment for India, said.

http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/jul/03uk1.htm

(India is the largest financial aid provider to UK.)

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 04 Jul 2008 12:07

Nearly 18,000 women and girls trafficked into UK sex trade

http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080703/8 ... raffi.html

Thu, Jul 3 03:35 PM

London, July 3 (ANI): Brit teenage girls are being abducted and trafficked around the country for sex, police has warned.

According to a Home Office reports, gangs involved in flesh trade are not only exploiting youngsters smuggled from abroad but also are now targeting teenagers born in the UK.

The report said that 'internal trafficking' of young girls in the country is an 'emerging issue.'

"The phenomenon is usually associated, but not exclusively, with the sexual exploitation of young teenage girls," the report added.

The Home Office has estimated that there are between 6,000 and 18,000 trafficked women and girls being forced to work as prostitutes in Britain.

Most are thought to have been brought to Britain from abroad, but Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said that the police are discovering more and more evidence that British girls and women are being exploited by people traffickers.

"It is something that increasingly people are raising and we are trying to get a better understanding of what exactly is taking place. It's something we are aware of and we have concerns about," the Telegraph quoted Coaker, as saying.

Coaker said that domestic trafficking tended to involve older men grooming younger women and girls by first appearing to be a friend or boyfriend.

"It is people living in an area and people groom them, get their trust and then betray that trust," he said.

In one case in Sheffield, 33 local girls were befriended by young men offering gifts, who later sexually abused them and passed them on to other men in other cities for more abuse.

Coaker spoke as the Home Office released details of a six-month nationwide police operation against trafficking gangs.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 04 Jul 2008 15:31

To be fair though, Britain is far more tolerant, forgiving and accepting of other cultures than any other European city. This is based on personal experience.... I haven't lived/visited Germany but have visited other cities. The worst country in my experience has been Netherlands, right from their airline KLM, they are the absolute worst in attitude.

haresh_singh · Post by **haresh_singh** » 04 Jul 2008 17:32

If you want to know the real problem in the UK look at this:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/damian_tho ... _to_us_all

this is Britains reward for pandering to the islamists.
Sooner or later they will realise that their best allies against these people are the Indians and the Jews.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 05 Jul 2008 10:54

Spy chief in coma as doctors battle mystery illness
http://www.independent.co. uk/home-news/spy-chief-in-coma
By Kim Sengupta
Saturday, 5 July 2008

Alex Allan with his wife, Katie Clemson, an artist who died from cancer last November

Britain's most senior intelligence officer is said to be showing no sign of recovery after being in a coma for five days with a mysterious illness which doctors have so far failed to diagnose.

The police and the security service have ruled out any possibility that Alex Allan, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), was poisoned. Toxicological tests are being carried out, however, to ascertain whether there is anything in his bloodstream which would explain his collapse.

Mr Allan, who briefs the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on security matters, was appointed to his post by Gordon Brown last autumn. He did not come from a security background and was remarkably open about his personal details, posting his address and telephone number in his Facebook-style website. But Scotland Yard said there was nothing to suggest he was the victim of an assassination attempt.

Security officials pointed out that administration of a sophisticated poison is not the modus operandi of Islamist fundamentalists and there was no evidence to suggest that the Russian secret service, accused over the death of Alexander Litvinenko by radioactive polonium, had targeted Mr Allan.

Mr Allan's wife, Katie Clemson, a renowned artist from Australia, died from cancer last November as he was taking up his job at the JIC and he was said to have been depressed over the loss. Friends and colleagues insisted yesterday, however, that this was no more than the normal reaction of a bereaved husband and that he was getting on with his life.

Last Saturday Mr Allan, 57, a fan of Grateful Dead, visited the rock band's website. On Sunday he told friends that he was feeling unwell. He did not turn up for work on Monday at the Cabinet Office and was discovered unconscious at his home in west London by a friend in the afternoon. He was taken to hospital where two policemen, there on unrelated matters, recognised who he was and called the Metropolitan Police special branch.

What makes Mr Allan's illness particularly puzzling is that he recently passed a medical examination and prides himself on his fitness. The photograph on his website shows him in his cycling gear and he once windsurfed to work along the Thames during a train strike wearing a bowler hat and suit and carrying a briefcase and an umbrella.

The JIC attracted adverse publicity recently when a senior official left secret documents about Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan on a train. The Cabinet Office said yesterday that the fact that Mr Allan was heading the inquiry into the incident showed that he was not deemed to be responsible in any way for the lapse of security.

What is the Joint Intelligence Committee?

*The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) collates material from the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), the Security Service (MI5), the Defence Intelligence Service and GCHQ. It also briefs the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on security matters and oversees the direction taken by the security agencies.

The meetings, once a week, are attended by the heads of the intelligence and security agencies, representatives from the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence. Delegates from the United States, Canada and Australia attend a part of the meeting.

The work of JIC came under public scrutiny in the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly. The committee had been tasked with compiling the dossier into Iraq's alleged WMD arsenal and the veracity of its conclusion came in for public criticism.

*Two secret reports for JIC, on Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, were recently left on a train by a senior official. Alex Allan was heading the disciplinary hearing into the security lapse.

The Joint Intelligence Committee is the first point of contact between the security and intelligence services and the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, who are given regular reports on the performances of the services.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 05 Jul 2008 21:28

In the Islamic Emirate of England, Held-Wales, Occupied-Scotland and English-Administered-Ireland...
Schoolboys punished with detention for refusing to kneel down and pray to Allah

Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped. They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager High School, near Stoke-on-Trent - which included wearing Muslim headgear - was a breach of their human rights.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 05 Jul 2008 21:38

they should be thankful to not be beheaded by the faithful. things seem to get
better and better...the gathering strength, the intimidation, the cultural ghettos,
the special concessions, soon sharia in civil law (chief justice has endorsed it),
islamic banks...

now imagine if the muslim kids in the class were made to wear hindu headgear
and asked to pray in yindu style..there would be a riot and the school would
be burnt to the ground now and principal sacked by the HMG

haresh_singh · Post by **haresh_singh** » 05 Jul 2008 23:44

This is a letter by a Labour MP in the Muslim Weekly

It is sickening, purely for votes:

Labour and British Muslims:
Can we dream the same dream?
by Mike O`Brien MP
Are some Muslims about to vote against the best friend they have ever had in government? Can people really claim that the Labour Government is a friend of Muslims after Iraq? The answer may surprise you.

Understandably, many Muslims are very angry about the war. Traditionally they have supported Labour but some are now switching to the Liberal Democrats, Respect or even the Tories. But the real question is whether there is a danger that anger may be causing Muslims to vote against their own long-term interests?

Putting a cross on a ballot paper is much more than just about expressing anger; a General Election is not some kind of referendum on the Governments` record on one issue. It is about making a balanced political judgment between political parties and deciding which of them should have a majority in a Parliament. It is about the kind of country you want to live in. It is about considering what a Labour Government rather than a Conservative Government has done and will do in the future for Muslims. I suggest that a vote, which weighs in the balance the long-term implications for Muslims, is the right approach.

We all know the importance of Iraq. Indeed, some people will try to convince you that it is the only issue that matters. Most however, will look beyond Iraq to also consider other issues such as the fate of the Palestinians. Despite the many setbacks over the last few years, the creation of a Palestinian state is a cause that the Prime Minister has repeatedly raised with great conviction and never abandoned. He has even declared it to be his personal priority. It is the key to peace in the Middle East. He has long advocated a two state solution, Palestine and Israel, side by side, both at peace. The reality is that the only way a Palestinian state will be created is if Israel is prepared to concede land it currently occupies on the West Bank and Gaza. Whether we in Britain like it or not, the reality of the modern world is that only the Americans can influence Israel. And it seems only Tony Blair has any influence with the Americans. Can anyone seriously imagine that Michael Howard or Charles Kennedy would be able to significantly influence George W. Bush? If they do, then they need to join the real world. The Prime Minister who has the most political clout to help the Palestinians is Tony Blair.

No one claims that the creation of a Palestinian state is going to be an easy ride for Tony Blair or for the Labour government but we are willing to stay the distance, no matter how difficult it gets. The Labour government and the Prime Minister have a record of arguing strongly that the creation of a Palestinian state is essential to peace and justice, and that any settlement must be based upon land being given for peace in line with UN Resolution 242. When the Americans and Israelis refused to negotiate with Yasser Arafat, Tony Blair promptly sent myself as the Foreign Office Minister, to visit Yasser Arafat in the Muquata in Ramallah to convey the message that we had not abandoned him. Tony Blair’s message was clear: we will work with the elected leader of the Palestinians, even if the Americans will not. On the issue of the assassination of the leaders of Hamas, Jack Straw as the Foreign Secretary was the first Western politician to condemn Israel’s actions.

Soon after the recent US elections, Tony Blair travelled to Washington to make it very clear that he wanted to see the road map to a Palestinian state opened up. If we are to have a Palestinian state in the next five years, then a key player in creating it will be the British Prime Minister, who will need to have world influence. In practice, only Tony Blair has the required credentials and track record. The reality remains that with George W. Bush in the White House, neither Charles Kennedy nor Michael Howard has the clout to deliver.

Are you still unconvinced that the Muslims need or should want a Labour Prime Minister in Downing Street? Well, let‚s compare Tony Blair with previous Prime Ministers. He is the first Prime Minister to have ever read the Qur‚an, to quote from it and to talk about it. Can anyone imagine Margaret Thatcher or John Major doing the same? Whilst in opposition, Tony Blair had developed a genuine dialogue and relationship with a number of Muslims and Islamic organisations, based not just on getting votes but also on his interest in assisting Muslims achieve their rightful place in British life.

After 1997 Muslim groups were welcomed into the Home Office, the Foreign Office and 10 Downing Street. For the first time ever, four Muslim peers were appointed to the Lords and the first Muslim Labour MPs were elected. Even today, no other Party has a Muslim in the Commons. Labour is also the Party that has the largest number of Muslim councillors. We are proud of this achievement, but we have not yet finished. If you ask who are the only Party running Muslims in seriously winnable seats for the next election, the only answer is Labour.

The Muslim Council of Britain has been at the forefront of lobbying the Government on issues to help Muslims. Recently Iqbal Sacranie, the General Secretary of the Council, asked Tony Blair to declare that the Government would introduce a new law banning religious discrimination. Two weeks later, in the middle of his speech to the Labour Party Conference, Tony Blair promised that the next Labour Government would ban religious discrimination. It was a major victory for the Muslim community in Britain.

But this is not the first and only time that Labour Party has delivered for Muslims. When I was a Home Office Minister in 1997, the MCB lobbied me to introduce not only a new law which would increase sentences for racial violence and harassment but also to recognise the particular problems faced by Muslims. As a result we were able to amend the law to make religion a factor in any violence and harassment. Today, new Crime Bill, announced in the Queens Speech is coming before Parliament to toughen the laws on incitement to religious hatred. This has upset some M.P.`s such as Evan Harris MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesman, who has said he will oppose it because it is unnecessary!

Within weeks of coming to power, people will remember that Labour also repealed the appalling Primary Purpose Rule that discriminated against people coming to join their families in Britain, from Pakistan, Bangladesh and from other Muslim countries. This law introduced by the Conservatives caused a great deal of anguish and had broken up families. Labour promised to repeal it and promptly delivered after the election.

The new Labour Government was the first British government to give state recognition and funding to Muslim schools. Previously only Christian and Jewish schools had been allowed this opportunity. The Liberal Democrats opposed Muslim schools and Labour had to push legislation through the Commons against their strong opposition. At the same time the Foreign Office adopted a new policy to provide support for the Hajj delegation, sending doctors and administrators to Saudi Arabia to help British Hajjis. We are the only Western government to do so. Thousands of Muslims who travelled to Mecca have benefited from the change. And each year in the Commons there is now an Eid celebration, often attended by the PM, as he did this year.

I also remember when the issue arose about Muslims being included in the Remembrance Day ceremonies. Tony Blair was appalled that Muslims were being excluded and changed the protocol. He insisted that at all future civic ceremonies, including for example the commemoration of September 11 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Muslims would have a prominent role.

And across a whole range of social issues, on creating jobs, reducing poverty, on welfare reform and housing policy, Muslims have benefited from Labour government policies. Take for example the Sure Start initiative, which financed the new crèche opened at the London Muslim Centre in East London. It provides childcare facilities for the predominantly Muslim women in the whole area, in a place in which they have confidence in leaving their children.

In 2000 I took through the Commons the first Race Relations laws in a quarter of a century. Labour wanted to ensure that all public services had an obligation to promote good community relations. The impact of the law will be wide ranging.

Some might say these changes are all the result of pressure from within the Labour Party rather than the personal influence of Tony Blair himself. It is certainly true that it is the Labour Party as a whole which has had the support of Muslims; it is the Party that has supported migrant communities and the Welfare State. But Tony Blair’s keen interest in Muslim issues has been a key driver of progress through the last seven years. He was keen to ensure the interests of Muslims were considered and protected when Labour introduced the Minimum Wage, the Working Families Tax Credit and community development strategies.

It was also the PM who was personally committed to the intervention in Kosovo to help the Muslims who were being murdered by the Serbs. This was an intervention entirely for humanitarian reasons, opposed by many on the liberal Left of British politics like George Galloway. Many Muslims in Kosovo owe their lives to British intervention. Likewise, British funding of the reconstruction of Bosnia has helped Bosnian Muslims slowly re-build a future. It is Tony Blair who has personally championed the entry of Turkey- a Muslim country into the EU and he has taken a personal interest in dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. One of the key policies promoted by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown has been development aid, with 33 of the countries receiving British foreign aid being Muslim. Since 1997, the British aid assistance to Bangladesh alone has doubled.

You will have noticed I have left out the anti-terrorism legislation out of this balance sheet. There is no denying that this is a difficult issue; so let me tackle it head on. After the Madrid bombing, no one seriously doubts that we face concerns about terrorism but many have concerns about the ways in which anti-terrorism laws are being implemented.

I come from an Irish Catholic family brought up in the West Midlands. I remember the aftermath of the Birmingham pub bombings, with the introduction of anti-terrorism laws and internment. The 1970s were a time when understandably fear and anger went through the Irish Catholic community in Britain. Remember the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four who were Convicted and later acquitted? Yet, despite the fact that problems arose in implementation of these laws we realise now that the anti terrorist laws were always targeted at terrorists and not at all Irish Catholics. So too today, the legislation is targeted at terrorists, not at all Muslims. Today, Ministers are doing the best they can to ensure that the laws are not wrongly used and have publicly reject the notion that these are anti-Muslim laws. Tony Blair has personally and repeatedly made this clear.

So, I ask Muslims to look at the balance sheet on the Labour government and Blair as a whole. The balance sheet shows show both positives and negatives. No one is suggesting we can possibly measure the suffering of Iraqi’s since the war, any more than we can forget the countless Iraqis that Saddam himself killed during his long tyranny.

It is true that the Prime Minister has disagreed openly with Muslims on removing Saddam and some Muslim may feel betrayed, but, across a range of other vital issues from Kosovo to policies in Britain, the Labour government are trying to deliver an agenda that has shown consideration and respect for Muslims.

And it is also important to reflect on the fact that in some seats a vote for the Liberal Democrats or Respect may be an outlet for anger over Iraq, but, in a House of over 600 MPs, it is unlikely to elect more than a handful of the minority party. The real question is who is in Government? What a protest vote could do across the country is to switch votes away from the Labour column and allow the Party that is in second place in most seats to gain a considerable numbers of M.P.`s. That Party is the Conservative Party, not the Liberal Democrats, nor Respect. The truth is that, if you vote Lib Dem or Respect, then you could end up with a Conservative MP and Conservative Government. That is the mathematics of our system of voting, whether people want it or not. Ask yourself what will Michael Howard do for British Muslims? Will his foreign policy aim to help Palestine? Will he promote legislation to protect you from religious hatred and discrimination? Will he create more jobs or support greater equality? Will he give you the choice of sending your children to a faith school? Will he stand up for the right of Muslim women to wear the hijab? Will he really fight for Turkey, a Muslim country, to join the EU? These are not academic questions. Remember, the last thing we want is to vote in anger and repent at leisure as Michael Howard, with a big smile on his face, walks through the door of Number Ten.

Tony Blair’s record on Iraq may anger many Muslims but his record is about more than one issue. But the issue is about who rules Britain and across a range of issues the Labour Government has delivered again and again for British Muslims. Labour values equality, compassion and a multi-religious Britain and so in that sense we share the dream of most British Muslims. To create that kind of society, we still have a lot to do if we are given the chance.

Mike O‘Brien is the Minister for Energy in the DTI, he is the Labour MP for North Warwickshire.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 06 Jul 2008 17:32

Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees

Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 06 Jul 2008 19:00

Gerard wrote:Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees
Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.

What next? circumcised dogs!!

kshirin · Post by **kshirin** » 06 Jul 2008 21:31

Monty European universities are indeed fixated on China, and we reciprocate - the Indian media carries very little info on Europe even in a strategic context. Check out the think tanks in London, and trawl through the South Asia departments of the major UK universities, but for funds you are better off looking at the US. After the recent violent attack on french students in the UK you may want to think again about studying there. You can specialise in any field of your choice in the US and do field studies in Europe. How about France and Germany, they want Indian students there, you will have to learn French, not totally useless. I dont know the scholarships scene though.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 07 Jul 2008 10:13

Gerard wrote:Sniffer dogs to wear ‘Muslim’ bootees
Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence.

Isn't there a arabian breed of dog that is mentioned in koran? then how come dogs can cause offence to muslims.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Jul 2008 13:09

Britain's top spy chief is still critical.There is growing suspicion that he was a victim of a foreign assassination plot.Even if true,given the sensitivity of the case,it is unlikely that the full details will be revealed by the British security apparatus.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... here'.html

Spy chief Alex Allan found with 'blood everywhere'
By Rupert Neate
Last Updated: 11:53AM BST 06/07/2008
Britain's leading spymaster, who is in a coma after apparently being struck down by a mystery illness, was found covered in blood, according to a tenant.
Alex Allan has been described as "very, very seriously ill" and is under police guard in the intensive care unit of a west London hospital.

He was found by Dominique Salm, a painter who rents an artist's studio in his west London home.

According to neighbours she found him slumped unconscious with "blood everywhere".

Doctors have run a battery of test to try and establish why the 57-year-old Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee collapsed at his home on Monday.

Government sources insist there is no evidence of suspicious circumstances, but Miss Salm's account will add to speculation that Mr Allan may have been targeted by a foreign spy.

The painter's mother Sally Ann Salm told the Mail on Sunday: "Some very serious people have asked Dominique not to comment on any of this until it has been fully investigated and she is doing just that. So am I."

The Counter Terrorism Command has investigated but is so far treating the illness as non-suspicious.

A police source said: "Because he is a person of significance, investigators made sure nothing untoward had occurred. But it was quickly established there was a medical reason for how he was found."

Whitehall sources are blaming the collapse on pneumonia, and experts agree that prolonged coughing can bring up blood.

Dr Keith Prowse, chairman of the British Lung Foundation, said: "If it's pneumonia it is likely to be secondary to something else. And a significant quantity of blood is more likely to come from the gut than the chest.

"Pneumonia is something that can strike very quickly, however."

Mr Allan has been described as "ebullient and out-going" and once windsurfed down the Thames in a suit and bowler hat to avoid a transport strike.

He was private secretary to both John Major and Tony Blair and was previously permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice and High Commissioner for Australia.

He was appointed to be chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) by Gordon Brown a year ago and took up his job in the autumn.

It is Mr Allan's job to assess the intelligence put forward by MI5, MI6, GCHQ, military intelligence and foreign intelligence sources.

He reports to the permanent secretary for intelligence, security and resilience who in turn reports to the Prime Minister.

Government sources suggest Mr Allan was "too high profile" to be a target for foreign intelligence agencies but others have suggested this is exactly what could make him vulnerable.

Miss Salm has been using a studio at Mr Allan's home since the death of his artist wife, Katie Clemson, in November last year.

yvijay · Post by **yvijay** » 07 Jul 2008 13:31

Avinash R wrote: Isn't there a arabian breed of dog that is mentioned in koran? then how come dogs can cause offence to muslims.

It seems watch dogs are allowed in koran.

yvijay · Post by **yvijay** » 07 Jul 2008 13:31

Avinash R wrote: Isn't there a arabian breed of dog that is mentioned in koran? then how come dogs can cause offence to muslims.

It seems watch dogs are allowed in koran.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 08 Jul 2008 10:57

UK's `surveillance society' costing taxpayers 20 billion pounds: Report

London | July 07, 2008

A TaxPayers' Alliance report has claimed that Britain's "surveillance society" is costing the national exchequer 20 billion pounds, or 800 pounds per household.

The amount includes 19 billion pounds for the planned ID card system and 500 million pounds for CCTV cameras.

The Telegraph quoted former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, who is standing for by-elections this week, as saying that this statistic provided "further damning evidence of Big Brother's (Brown Government's) expensive tastes."

Describing it as a huge waste of taxpayers' money, Davis said that such policies undermine freedom and are utterly ineffective in fighting crime or terrorism.

Davis further said that: "It will undermine some of the fundamental principles of our justice, it will give the terrorists a propaganda coup and it may actually make the threat of terrorism worse."

Ministers, however, have denied that the ID card system will cost as much as the TaxPayers' Alliance report says. They also insist that CCTV has the backing of the public and have challenged opponents to say which cameras they would "pull down" in the name of civil liberties.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 08 Jul 2008 13:03

yvijay wrote:
Avinash R wrote: Isn't there a arabian breed of dog that is mentioned in koran? then how come dogs can cause offence to muslims.
It seems watch dogs are allowed in koran.

googled. It says saluki, an hunting breed is allowed in islam and rest other breeds are considered as impure.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Jul 2008 18:04

British intelligence calls Russia a threat that undermines fight against terrorism
http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1593

The British special services consider Russia one of the main threats to the security of Great Britain, The Times of London reports. Beyond Russian intelligence, the top two threats are identified as Al-Qaeda and Iran. “Russia’s three main intelligence agencies have flooded the country with agents,” the newspaper notes and the British are forced to spend many resources to counteract Russian industrial and military espionage. The activities of Russian spies in Britain are seriously undermining the fight against terrorism, security sources have disclosed.
Britain has raised the problem posed by Russian agents at diplomatic levels, but the concerns were dismissed. "The Government has spoken to Moscow and asked them to stop but their response is 'everyone spies on everyone [else]'," The Sunday Telegraph cites a senior security source. "MI5's resources have been stretched to the limit for the past few years. There have been times when there was nothing left in the locker, when all of our assets were being used on one operation. At the same time, we have to contend with the very real threat being posed by the Russians. Russia is a country which is under suspicion of committing murder on British streets and it must be assumed that having done it once they will do it again."
The source said MI5 was so stretched that some recent counter-terrorist operations against Muslim extremists had used up its entire surveillance resources, meaning other areas of security and intelligence work had inevitably suffered.
The Russian intelligence services are believed to have a network of some 30 spies operating in Britain, the paper says. The agents, equivalent to one in five of the Moscow government officials based in Britain, are known to be monitoring the movements and activities of Russian émigrés and opponents of the regime.They are also targeting businessmen, parliament members and scientists looking to steal commercial and state secrets.
Russian newspaper Kommersant points out that the British intelligence’s opinion was published just before a meeting between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

haresh_singh · Post by **haresh_singh** » 09 Jul 2008 02:31

Philip,
The stupidity of the British and American governments does not bare thinking about.
After 9/11 the Americans had the worls sympathy.
They squandered it.
When the Russian witnessed there children being murdered at Beslan, what was the response of the British and US governments ?

They told Putin to negotiate with the chechans !!
His reply was why don't you negotiate with OBL and AQ.

We have had a fat jordanian jihadist leader with clear links to AQ caught with £180,000 in cash. Amongst that was an envelope with £1,000 marked "for the mujihideen in chechnya"
My government has given asylum to chechans, it allows fund raising for terrorists not just in Russia but in India, Thailand,Phillipines. Funds are collected openly for the Taliban that kill UK troops.
The rights of the fund raisers protected by our stupid "European Convention on Human Rights"
Our politicians openly court islamists in a pathetic attempt to appease them.
David Cameron the Conservative leader has appointed Syeda Warsi to his shadow cabinet, she refers to the terrorists in Kashmir as "freedom fighters".
They want the money from the Indians and then sell us out.
It is no wonder the Russians are seen as a threat, they know thy cannot rely on the west.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Jul 2008 14:23

...and now the son of Osama wants Britain to be destroyed,furthering the cause of terrorism to the next generation.Glorious.We have had political dynasties,now we have terrorist "die-nasties"!

Osama Bin Laden's son calls for Britain to be wiped out on terror web film
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2273613 ... -film.html

By Aislinn Simpson
Last Updated: 9:50AM BST 09/07/2008
The son of terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden has appeared on a terrorist film on the internet calling for Britain and its allies to be wiped out.

Osama Bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza, appears in a video in 2001
Hamza Bin Laden, 16, the youngest of the Saudi-born warlord's 18 sons, is claimed to be the author of a poem featured on an extremist website to mark the third anniversary of the July 7 London bombings in which 52 people died.

In it, the boy dubbed the Crown Prince of Terror, called for an acceleration in the "destruction" of America, Britain, France and Denmark, the latter singled out for the publishing by its largest selling broadsheet of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

"Oh God, reward the fighters hitting the infidels and defectors. Oh God, guide the youth of the Islamic nation and let them assist with the fighters' plans," he continued.

Article continuesadvertisement
"God, be pleased with those who want to go for jihad – and blind those who are watching and want to capture them.

"Grant victory to the Taliban over the gangs of infidels."

The poem is thought to have been read out by Hamza himself, and is accompanied by a video clip featuring his father.

A short introduction announced: "We now offer you a new poem by Sheikh Hamza Bin Laden, may God protect him."

Patrick Mercer, the Conservative MP and a former shadow minister for security, said of the reading: "We now have the Crown Prince of Terror taking up his father's mantle."

Hamza, the only son from Bin Laden's marriage to his Saudi wife, is believed to be living on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the lawless territory of Waziristan.

It is not the first time the boy has been used on film to back his father's cause.

In 2001, he featured in a joint Taliban and Al-Qaeda video of a militant attack on a Pakistan army camp in South Waziristan.

Earlier this year, in a posthumous autobiography published after she was assassinated in political rally in her home country, the former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto named the teenager as the leader of one of a number of gangs plotting to kill her.

The allegation, which Bhutto said was reported to her by President Pervez Musharraf and a "friendly muslim government", bolstered intelligence claims that Hamza is being groomed as a future leader of Al-Qaeda.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 10 Jul 2008 01:19

Varsity “sorry” over degree row

LONDON: A leading British university, nervous at the prospect of losing full fee-paying Chinese students, has been forced to say sorry to Beijing following protests in China after it awarded an honorary degree to the Dalai Lama.

The London Metropolitan University, which has a large number of Chinese students, said on Wednesday its Vice-Chancellor Brian Roper met Chinese officials recently and expressed “regret” over the issue.

The Vice-Chancellor sought to assure them that it was not the university’s intention to cause any “unhappiness”.

In a statement, the university said: “The Vice-Chancellor ….met with representatives of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the U.K. During that meeting, he expressed regret at any unhappiness that had been caused to Chinese people by the recent award of an honorary doctorate to the Dalai Lama. It was not the university’s intention to cause any such unhappiness.”

The degree was awarded to the Dalai Lama during his visit to the U.K. in May sparking widespread criticism in the Chinese media and academic community. Chinese students reportedly threatened to boycott the university which has been actively soliciting applications from China and has an office in Beijing.

Like other overseas students from outside the European Union, Chinese students pay full fee, which is many times more than what domestic students pay, and are therefore much sought after by Britain’s cash-strapped universities.

A spokesperson for the university, however, clarified that its expression of regret did not amount to an apology as suggested in media reports. “We have not and will not be apologising for the award . Nor will we be retracting the award,” she told The Hindu.

Karan Dixit · Post by **Karan Dixit** » 10 Jul 2008 09:13

Indian car maker Tata intends to launch one of its best-selling models, the Indica, in the UK, the BBC has learned.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7497545.stm

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 10 Jul 2008 18:01

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 305464.ece

Half of all British servicemen say they want to quit
Bearing brunt of two wars is hurting family life
(Richard Mills)
The research involved more than 24,000 military personnel

Michael Evans, Defence Editor
Britain’s ability to sustain campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan was called into question last night as it emerged that almost half of all military personnel are ready to quit.

The first survey to assess attitudes across the Armed Forces reveals unprecedented levels of concern over equipment, morale and pay.

The research was conducted by the Ministry of Defence and involved more than 24,000 military personnel.

It found that the sense of overcommitment means that 47 per cent of soldiers and army officers think regularly of handing in their resignations.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 13 Jul 2008 19:59

Sharia law thin edge of wedge

"Democracy can defend itself only very feebly; its internal enemy has an easy time of it because he exploits the right to disagree that is inherent in democracy. His aim of destroying democracy itself, of actively seeking an absolute monopoly of power, is shrewdly hidden behind the citizen's legitimate right to oppose and criticize the system."