MY CRAZY WEEK: GET READY FOR AN INDIAN SUMMER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Bipin Anand

My crazy week: get ready for An Indian Summer

Monday: It begins on the back of four hours' sleep for the third day in a row – a whole lot of coffee and the excitement of the impending An Indian Summer (AIS) festival will keep me going, writes Bipin Anand.

After gulping my coffee, I head to the Curve theatre to run through the 20-odd AIS activities they will be hosting from June 27 to 30.

I grab a quick lunch on the mad dash back to the office where there are e-mails to be answered and social media to update. I attend a daily festival team meeting in the afternoon and then head back to the office and catch up with the leaflet and event guide distribution team.

Tuesday: Another early start. I do an interview on Tommy Sandhu's Breakfast Show on BBC Asian Network, meet with local car park owners to organise parking for An Indian Summer artists and continue inviting people from the UK/Europe to An Indian Summer, which is now just nine days away.

Soon it's 5pm and I realise I've forgotten to have lunch and grab a quick sandwich. I fire off a few e-mails, plough through paperwork and finally go home exhausted – at 10.30pm. I sign off after midnight, even with the buzz of the festival I just can't work anymore.

Wednesday: Arriving at the office I find three team members already there hard at work, everyone's so excited, it's a great atmosphere!The morning is spent setting up interviews with Pukaar News before a lunch meeting with AIS project and event managers Swati and Jiten.

The team is buzzing with the announcement that Leicester has made the final four of the City of Culture finalists! I pop over to the University of Leicester to run through details of their involvement in the AIS launch, meet with Phoenix's CEO to run through details for next year's AIS, and confirm transport for tabla artist Mayur Narvekar (arriving by flight from India) is all good for the following day.

Thursday: I'm jolted awake with a mixture of nerves and excitement at the realisation that there is now just one week to go. I have a meeting with AIS media team coordinator, Simon Aitchison, a health and safety walk through with my brother and event manager Jiten.

Lunch is delivered by my wonderful mum on her way to work. I edit video footage, help with leaflet distribution and attend a meeting with the manager of Chutney Ivy to discuss our launch – in aid of Unique Homes for Girls – next Wednesday. A break is much-needed so I switch off my phone and sneak off to catch a movie at Phoenix.

Friday: After a jog and meditation session, I am fired up and ready for the day ahead. I'm greeted by Gurdeep, AIS's creative director, and the decoration team – they will be putting into action the AIS decoration plan as of today. I attend the City of Culture team meeting as one of the executive board members of the bid team. A day of meetings, run-throughs with the team follow before I pack up slightly early, head home and put my feet up – an awesome feeling.

Bipin Anand is festival director of An Indian Summer, from June 27-30 in Leicester's Cultural Quarter

FESTIVAL PROMISES TASTE OF ASIAN LIFE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Festival promises taste of Asian life

The tastes, sights and sounds of Asia will take over the city centre this weekend for the annual Mela festival.

On Sunday, two stages in the city centre will host dance and music while the market place sizzles with the finest curries, bhajis and samosas.

The organisers of the Leicester Belgrave Mela promise it will be "a glittering mix of live music, dance, fashion and food".

Festival director Sanjib Singh Sahota said: "It promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

"This summer, we are inviting the whole of the UK to experience our famous Mela Shopping Bazaar, a whole host of free South Asian arts activities, delightful dance, music, electrifying entertainment – and a few celebrity guests.

"It's going to be a great day out for the whole family."

Special guests flying in from India especially for the event will include Rucha Hasabnis and Vishal Singh, who play the characters Rashi and Jigar in the popular Star Plus series, Saath Nidhana Saathiya.

BBC Asian Network, which helps organise the Mela, has invited performers including Navin Kundra, the Stranger Family, Foji and Mobo award-winner Raghav.

Hosts on the stages will include Leicester-born Star TV presenter Nishil Saujani and BBC Radio Leicester's Rupal Rajani.

Other fun will include a climbing tower and sports activities.

Pradip Popat, of Mirch Masla restaurant, which will have two stalls at the Mela this year selling food, said: "There's always an amazing atmosphere with brilliant music and culture and there are always more people than ever in the city centre when the Mela's on.

"I've got my fingers crossed for good weather and I think it will be the best and the biggest ever."

About 25 youngsters from Kuntal's School of Bollywood Dancing will be performing on the main stage in Humberstone Gate and on the smaller stage near the Clock Tower.

Kuntal Indulkar, who runs the school, said: "We have dancers aged from six to 25 who will be performing and they're very excited.

"It will be our third year taking part. We had rehearsals at the weekend with the costumes all the parents helped make and we can't wait for Sunday."

The Mela was first held in 1982 on Cossington Recreation Ground, Belgrave, as the Belgrave Festival before moving to Abbey Park, and then the city centre. It became the model for similar summer festivals in Manchester, London, Cambridge and Newcastle.

This year's event, which will be broadcast on BBC Asian Network, starts at 11am and finishes at 6pm.

Photo from 2011 Leicester Mela sourced from Kiran Parmar, with permission. 

BELIEVING IN BBC'S ETHOS IS EQUIVALENT TO A FAITH

This article appears in today's Daily Mail:

Believing in BBC's ethos is equivalent to a faith, job tribunal rules 

By Steve Doughty & Claire Ellicot

Rules to prevent religious discrimination can now also be used to protect a belief in the BBC’s ethos of public service broadcasting, a tribunal has ruled.

Its extraordinary decision elevates the BBC’s core principle to a place in the law equivalent to Christianity.

And the move leaves the way clear for long-serving employee Devan Maistry to sue the Corporation for wrongful dismissal.

South African-born Mr Maistry, who worked for the BBC Asian Network, says he suffered discrimination for six years until he was dismissed last year.

He has filed a claim for ‘religious or belief discrimination’, which allegedly took place against his philosophical view that ‘public service broadcasting has the higher purpose of promoting cultural interchange and social cohesion’.

Birmingham employment tribunal chairman Pam Hughes decided Mr Maistry has a worthy case, and gave him the right to a full hearing later this year.

In doing so, the tribunal chairman established the principle that Mr Maistry’s love of public service broadcasting amounted to a belief which should have the same protection from discrimination that the law gives to followers of religious faiths.

In doing so, the tribunal chairman established the principle that Mr Maistry’s love of public service broadcasting amounted to a belief which should have the same protection from discrimination that the law gives to followers of religious faiths.

It is not clear exactly how the broadcaster is accused of treating him unfairly. Mr Maistry would not comment when asked about the basis of his case.

A lawyer for the BBC said it had not even been explained to the Corporation how it had allegedly discriminated against the producer’s philosophical beliefs.

Laws defending workers from discrimination over faith were passed in 2003.

But in the past two years they have been extended by the courts to cover political and fringe interests including views on climate change and animal rights activism.

At the same time, a series of cases have dismissed the importance of Christian beliefs.

Most recently, a couple were told they were unfit to foster children because they could not in conscience tell a child that it was OK to be homosexual.

At the tribunal, the BBC said the idea that belief in public sector broadcasting was the same as a religion was ‘absurd’.

Its lawyer, Tariq Sadiq, said if Mr Maistry’s claim succeeded, then belief in the aims of any public sector organisation – or even a private sector firm’s mission statement – would count as philosophical beliefs.

Mr Sadiq said: ‘A belief that the aim of the NHS should first and foremost be to look after the health and welfare of its patients could, if the claimant were correct, amount to belief for the purposes of the 2003 regulations, but it would be absurd for that to be the case.’

But in her ruling, Miss Hughes said: ‘The claimant had a genuine and strongly held belief in what I will describe in short as the higher purpose of public service broadcasting. It is clearly of great personal significance to him.’

Devan Maistry’s case is the latest in a string of decisions to rule that everyday opinions should have the same status as religious beliefs.

Two years ago, a tribunal found that company executive Tim Nicholson, a firm believer in climate change, was wrongly dismissed after objecting to his company’s use of flights and cars.

That case set a precedent and, this year, animal rights activist Joe Hashman successfully argued that he was wrongly sacked from his garden centre job after his activities were discovered. He said his beliefs should be protected by his employer.

BBC ASIAN RADIO STATION BASED IN LEICESTER A STEP CLOSER TO BEING AXED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

BBC Asian radio station based in Leicester a step closer to being axed

The Asian Network is a step closer to being axed, after the BBC Trust accepted plans to close it.

In a review of BBC services, the trust said the station, launched in Leicester in 1996, was "performing poorly" and listener numbers were falling.

The BBC will now put together plans to replace the channel with a range of local stations for Asian audiences.

The Asian Network and BBC 6 Music have been under threat for the past two months, but 6 Music has been given a reprieve.

Much of the Asian Network's news team is based at BBC Radio Leicester, in St Nicholas Circle, in the city centre.

Gujurati and Hindi-language evening shows are broadcast from there three days a week.

It is understood about 30 people work for the station in Leicester, although the BBC said it could not confirm how many employees were based in the city.

A spokesman said in many cases there would be opportunities for staff to be employed elsewhere within the organisation.

The rest of the output is transmitted from Birmingham and London.

The BBC Trust, the governing body of the organisation, said in its initial review, published yesterday: "We acknowledge the Asian Network is performing poorly."

It added: "We would consider a formal proposal from the BBC to close it but would need to be convinced that any alternative proposed would be a clear improvement in terms of overall public value for British Asian audiences."

The Asian Network peaked with about 535,000 listeners a week in 2004.

The review said the number was about 300,000 in 2009.

Proposals to close the station were announced in March.

The trust said the Asian Network's audience figures had declined, especially among younger listeners, while commercial radio stations had seen an increase in listening numbers of Asian people.

It added: "A key theme that emerges is that of how Asian Network nurtures the idea of being a British Asian – rather than just a member of a local community – as well as recognising the diversity within British Asian communities.

"There is clearly a risk that this would be lost if it were to be closed as a national service."

One Asian Network employee, who did not want to be named, said: "I've been disappointed throughout this whole process.

"It'll be a real loss. We don't know what they are going to do or how they will continue the station in another way.

"The Asian Network is really important for the development of young journalists. A lot of people get their first chance of broadcasting here."

Yesterday, a BBC spokesman, said it would now make detailed plans for the closure of the Asian Network, which would need to be put to the BBC Trust for approval.

Manjula Sood, a former Lord Mayor of Leicester and chairman of Leicester Council of Faiths, said: "It started as just one hour in Leicester and has grown and grown."

She added: "It should be kept in some way as radio is a great way to reach the community. "The Asian Network is for everyone within the community, old or young."

"PART-TIME" RADIO COULD REPLACE BBC ASIAN NETWORK

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Part-time" radio could replace BBC Asian Network

The BBC's Asian Network could be replaced by five part-time medium wave local stations after its planned shutdown in 2011.

The decision to scrap the station has been heavily criticised by employees, musicians and politicians from Leicester, where it started in 1996.

BBC director-general Mark Thompson this week confirmed that the station and 6 Music were facing closure.

Much of the Asian Network's news team is based at BBC Radio Leicester, in St Nicholas Circle. Gujurati and Hindi-language evening shows are broadcast from there three days a week. The rest of the output is transmitted from Birmingham and London.

Employees say they have been told not to comment on the matter by the BBC's press office.

When asked, a spokeswoman was unable to say what the announcement would mean for workers.

The BBC's review wants money and resources currently invested in the Asian Network to be "released to service audiences better in other ways".

One option suggested is to "replace it with a network of five part-time local services with some syndicated national Asian programmes".

These would be available on local digital radio medium wave, serving areas with the largest British Asian communities.

The review also says the station has suffered from a 20% drop in listeners over the past three years and has become one of the most expensive in terms of how much is spent on programming per listener.

A number of online petitions have been set up to try to save the network.

One employee, who asked not to be named, said there was about 30 staff working in Leicester. He added: "It has a devoted following, not just in Leicester but all over the UK, and over the last five years or so there has been a real drive to improve and strengthen output.

"Everyone who listens says it is stronger than ever, which makes it difficult for people to take.

"Asian musicians are now thinking about whether they'll ever have commercial success.

"They're not being played by anyone else and we're the only ones giving them an opportunity to be heard. Where else is this music going to be played?"

Tjinder Singh, lead singer of Leicester band Cornershop, who had a number one hit in the 1990s with Brimful of Asha, said: "It's a blow. The station is still young and finding its feet. I don't think it settled down properly and had some great parts to it. It will be sad to see it go."

Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East, said he was extremely concerned by the BBC's plans.

He said: "Leicester should rightly be proud of the creation of BBC Asian Network, it has contributed so much to the Asian communities in the UK.

"It is my belief that the BBC has a responsibility to give a platform to minority interests and to reach wider audiences such as the Asian community."

Union leaders, who have condemned the plans, meet Mr Thompson on Wednesday and warned strike action is likely.