RAKESH MATHUR'S INDIA MONITOR


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Asylum bill....Asiaventures...Praful Mohanti..Times on threat to India's heritage buildings...Indian art market in the UK ..Ravi Shankar.Visa problems-Meeting with Michael Howard

FIRST ASIAMANAGERS FORUM TO HEADHUNT IN LONDON


By Rakesh Mathur

There is a hope for those young graduates or potential managers who are tired of trying to get jobs in Great Britain. They are now being given an opportunity to work for multi-national companies in Asia.
On January 9 and 10, personnel managers of multi-national companies such as Siemens, Citibank, Ericsson Radio Systems, ICI, Lever Brothers, General Motors, Shell, Miller and Total will meet shortlisted 350 candidates in London.
All these candidates have an intention to return to Asia for employment, they have ability to operate in English and at least one Asian language and outstanding intellectual and interpersonal skills, in order to work in the multi-national companies.
Sponsored by Andersen Consulting, this first ever, Asian Mangers Forum will begin with an evening reception on Monday 8th January 1996. In an exclusive hotel, situated at the river Thames, all candidates will attend at least one pre-scheduled interview and will be invited to contact the other companies for sponteneous interviews. There will be numerous receptions, workshops and orientation programmes during these two day sessions.
William Archer, organiser of this event, on behalf of Brussels based EMDS, told this correspondent: "All applicants, whether selected for interviews or not, will receive one year's free membership of the AsiaManagers Association. This is a unique group offering access to unadvertised career opportunities and networking with high-achievers. The Council of the AsiaManagers Association will be appointed shortly to continue this dialogue."

For further details, address your queries to Rakesh Mathur,
INTERNET:100700.513@compuserve.com


NO INTERNAL CONTROLS

The Home Secretary has introduced a new Asylum and Immigration bill into parliament which the Home Office has described as a 'sharp break' from existing legislation.
The proposals in the bill include introducing a new legal definition of 'immigrant' encompassing every person who 'requires leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom (whether or not such leave has been given).
All immigrants are excluded from automatic entitlement to council housing and child benefit. This will probably be extended to all benefits via Social Security Regulations to be introduced separately which will cut all benefits to 70% of asylum seekers.
Employers are to be made legally liable for the immigration status of their employees, which is bound to increase race discrimination in employment.
A number of people of Indian origin are involved in the Campaign Against the Immigration and Asylum Bill which is seeking all party support to prevent these measures reaching the statute book. The Campaign has decided upon a series of public activities including protest meetings, a parliamentary petition, lobbies of parliament.
There will be a national demonstration on 24 February 1996 in which Indian community nationwide will take an active part.
For more information, contact Campaign Against The Immigration and Asylum Bill on telephone No. 0171-247 9907.

POWER OF BUSINESS INFORMATION

Many Indian businessmen are very good at dealing with their immediate problems. But according to a survey, they can still do better with a long term vision and the help which is available all around us in Britain.
Right contacts and information about how to maximise their effect can improve one's business to a great extent.
Asiaventures, a London based company deals with information which can be useful to a wide range of businesses based in England. Asiaventures seeks to identify the needs of Indian businesses through a close dialogue with individual sectors and an understanding of what influences competitiveness at home and abroad.
If required, Asiaventures can ensure that those needs are taken into account by Government and within the European community.
Asiaventures have a track record of providing information to foster the creation and development of small and medium-sized businesses in the UK.
For more information, leave your name, contact number and nature of enquiry on 100700.513@compuserve.com. You may also call Tel. 0171-630 86 88 for more details.

PRAFULLA MOHANTI: A VILLAGER IN LONDON METROPOLIS

The Hindu concept of the Bindu and Mandala - the universe have inspired artist and writer Prafulla Mohanti for a couple of decades. Prafulla, who lives in London with Derek Moore, his life long friend and mentor visit India every year to rejuvenates his roots.
He hails from Nanpur, a small village in Orissa. Befor leaving for India, he told Rakesh Mathur, our correspondent: "I return to my village every year for several months to live, to think and to derive inspiration from the landscapes and the people."
Prafulla Mohanti's paintings and writings are deeply rooted in his Orissa village culture where art is a part of daily life. Prafulla has held several exhibitions in London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo and the United States.
He is author of several books including 'Through Brown Eyes' and 'My village, My life' which have been published in the United Kingdom. Many of his books are now out of print but can be consulted in libraries throughout the country.

LONDON TIMES' COMMENTS ON INDIA

The Times, London on Christmas eve, published an eye opening article about India: The tarnishing of the Taj by the ex-editor Simon Jenkins. Following excerpts would be worth considering for the future of India.

India keeps its magnetism. No other country has such a quantity of beauty on display, human as well as physical. Here is the only great civilisation outside Europe whose history can still be witnessed in brick and stone.
India is infinitely precious. it is now infinitely fragile.
The Taj still defies any reaction other than awe. It will, I am sure, survive. It was designed to defy flood and earthquake. The cash value of its beauty should protect it from terminal damage. There are craftsmen aplenty to keep it in repair.
India's other historic monuments face a more uncertain fate. They are dispersed and many are crumbling: Rajput forts on distant mountains, exotic temples in desert or bush, great Raj mansions decaying unloved in newly rich cities.
The draw of India lies not just in the beauty of of its antiquities but in their setting, in the harmony of street, temple, fort and hill. India is about atmosphere, that capacity to evoke from even the most casual visitor not just admiration but enduring love.
Wealth is not the enemy of conservation, as the cities of Europe show. Nor the conservation require wealth. It requires the political will to enforce that tourist revenue goes into safeguarding what tourists come to see, not into the pockets of the already rich.
India's poverty does not stop its presidents and ministers living in regal splendour. It does not prevent Calcutta's communists keeping the former Governor's mansion immaculate and to themselves, closed to the public. Most historic buildings in India are being destroyed by the rich, nor the poor.
Historic buildings are regarded by the Indian Government as "given", a seam of gold that can be mined for tourist revenue but willnever give out. They need no protection or maintenance. While hotels have become expensive, historic sites are mostly free and dejected. They are supposedly "protected" but that is no security against a bribe in the right quarter, as the fate of Delhi's decaying medieval step-wells indicates.
As its most passionate historian, S. Mutiah, remarks in his book: Madras is the past trying to catch up with the present. But sadly not with the future.

RAVI: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RAVI SHANKAR


By Rakesh Mathur

To mark the 75th birthday of Ravi Sankar, former Beatle George Harrison has edited a new autobiography Ravi. In a limited edition of 2500 copies, each personally signed by the great maestro himself, publication by Genesis will be released shortly accompanied by a special CD of his recordings in a fine presentaion box.

According to the press release of Genesis publication, this prestigious project will feature many previously unpublished photographs, letters and documents drawn from the personal archives of Ravi Shankar.

In his charming and candid manner, the world's most accomplished Indian musician tells the story of his remarkable life. Starting with his childhood in Varanasi, he covers his early world tours with his brother Uday's famous dance troupe while still in his teens. The bood then follows his years of of devoted training under his musical guru, and the achievement of phenomenal success first in India and then worldwide, becoming a household name in the West after meeting Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison. Ravi Shankar provides a fascinating perspective on the 60's.

However, eschewing the fleeting success of the Western pop world, Ravi has continued to develop as a musician of world stature, embarking on a breathtaking variety of ventures in the fields of popular, classical dance and film music, while remaining the leading the most influential Indian classical musician of his age. In all he has done, his passion for music as a means to spiritual enlightenment has shone through.

Ravi Shankar's tale mixes his experiences on the world stage with his account of his inner development as an artist and an individual through many highs and lows.
Ravi brings this autobiography up to date by revealing his attainment of personal fulfulment in family life. He also discusses recent major developments in Indian music and expresses his great hopes for the future.

A free colour brochure on the limited edition of RAVI: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar will be published very soon.

CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART FINDS A MARKET IN THE UK


By Rakesh Mathur


£24,000 were paid at Christie's in London recently for a portrait of Ganesh, painted by Hussain, India's celebrated artist. In the same auction, artists such as Raza, Shakti Berman, Bhupen Khakhar fetched thousands of pounds.
Bhupen's portrait of Salman Rushdie, which was featured on BBC2 recently was recently bought by the National Portrait Gallery, London. This first ever purchase of the contemporary Indian art by the NPG was made in collaboration with London based Kapil Jariwala Gallery.
Kapil Jariwala Gallery at 4 New Burlington Street, London W1X 1FE (Tel: 0171-437 2172) is currently displaying a number of Indian artists such as Krishen Khanna, Dhruva Mistry (creator of famous Birmingham fountain opposite Town Hall), Trupti Patel, Rekha Rodwittiya and Shanti Panchal. The exhibition is entitled: Indian Winter.
These artists have been drawing a large crowd of art lovers and buyers. Some of the large and small size works have proved to be ideal christmas gifts. Introducing the exhibition, Kapil Jariwala said: Indian winter exhibition juxtaposes early Indian sculpture, Mogul painting, Tantric works and Folk art alongside modern Indian art. This display is creating a spark which we hope will point to the roots and inspiration of these highly individual artists.



Today, a number of Indian journalists met the British Home Secretary Mr Michael Howard, who will be visiting India on December 29 for about a week before leaving for Islamabad and Bangladesh. We had an informal chat and I thought that UKINDIA should be the first one to carry this news. It follows:

TELL ALL ABOUT PROBLEMS OF GETTING A BRITISH VISA
By Rakesh Mathur


Numerous complaints have been made by the Indian applicants for the British visa at the British High Commission in New Delhi. These complaints range from waiting for hours in the harsh weather conditions outside the British Consulate to inhuman interviews by the immigration officers. Things are definitely are not as bad as chastity tests of the 70's but still there is a room for improvements. Now is the time to tell it all.
To find out all about the delivery of British visas at their missions in the Indian sub-continent, Mr Michael Howard, the British Home Secretary will be leaving for New Delhi on 29 December. On this fact finding mission, he will have meetings with the immigration officers, interpreters, locally recruited staff members, some of the visa applicants and Indian politicians.
"So far immigration is concerned, I want to see handling of cases," Mr Howard told a number of London based Indian journalists this afternoon. What I want to come back with is the greater understanding of how our officers work. I want to gain for myself what kind of problems there are.
"Illegal immigration is a problem for Great Britain. We have identified a large number of them. We would say around 10,000 not only from the sub-continent but also from other parts of the world. It is difficult to quantify the number though."

Mr Howard will also have the opportunity to discuss his assylum and immigration bill when he meets a wide range of people in the Indian sub-continent during his 12 day fact finding mission. In India, he will visit New Delhi, Bombay and Amritsar where he will visit the Golden temple and is expected to meet some Sikh leaders.
Mr Michael Howard is an old friend of India and has visited this country several times in the past. To select India for a trip during the most important holiday period, is a tribute to the country he is so fond of. Some of Howard's critics responded at the news of this trip and said: " let's hope that he brings back some of the compassion from the great religions of India."