TRIBUTES have been paid to Narmadaben, wife of renowned spiritual leader Pujya Morari Bapu, who died at the age of 79 at their home in Talgajarda village, in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar last Wednesday (11).
Prime minister Narendra Modi spoke to Pujya Morari Bapu to offer his condolences following the loss.
Family members and local devotees attended the funeral which took place at their family home last Wednesday, amid traditional Hindu rites.
Shops and other establishments were closed in Talgajarda last Wednesday as a mark of respect to Pujya Narmadaben, as she was known among residents of the area. Reports said she had been unwell for some time, and locals had been offering prayers for her recovery in recent days. “Narmadaben breathed her last during the early hours of Wednesday at their residence in Talgajarda village,” a close aide of Pujya Morari Bapu told reporters. “She was given samadhi with full traditional spiritual rites at the same location in the morning.”
Pujya Morari Bapu is known across India and abroad as one of the leading narrators of Ramkatha. He is well regarded for his recitations of the Ramcharitmanas, the popular version of the Ramayana, written by poet Tulsidas.
Pujya Morari Bapu and Narmadaben were married in Vanot village and had four children – a son and three daughters. She played an important role in quietly and steadfastly supporting her husband’s religious mission.
A NEW interactive website exploring the history and contributions of South Asians in Britain has been launched to mark South Asian Heritage Month 2025, which runs until August 17.
The website, South Asian Britain: Connecting Histories, features more than 750 entries and 30 oral histories. It includes digitised archival documents, network diagrams and maps covering South Asian presence in Britain from the 1830s to the present.
The resource is part of the research project ‘Remaking Britain: South Asian Connections and Networks, 1830s to the Present’, led by the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London in partnership with the British Library, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
It highlights notable figures such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Sophia Duleep Singh, Kamal Aton Chunchie and Freddie Mercury, alongside contemporary personalities like Rishi Sunak, Sadiq Khan, Meera Syal, Riz Ahmed, Nadiya Hussein and Malala Yousafzai. It also documents underrepresented communities including LGBTQIA+ individuals and those from working-class or caste-oppressed backgrounds.
Professor Sumita Mukherjee said: “We’re delighted to launch South Asian Britain: Connecting Histories for South Asian Heritage Month 2025. This project has been very much a team-effort, and we are grateful to all our collaborators, partners and participants who have helped us develop and shape this wonderful resource.”
Dr Rehana Ahmed said: “One of our key motivations has been to extend this research to all the four nations of the United Kingdom from the Outer Hebrides to Cornwall to Belfast to Huddersfield and we are delighted to share many unexpected stories and connections made by South Asians across the centuries.”
Dr Florian Stadtler added: “We hope this resource will be used by the widest possible audiences and that it will inspire multiple generations around the world of all heritages. The stories we showcase – of the challenges of migration, of activism and resistance, of cultural production and of family life – are universal.”
The launch event is being held at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff on 22 July, with more events planned in the autumn, including at the British Library on 19 September. The resource is available at southasianbritain.org.
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About 1,000 demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off in Epping, trading chants and insults across a police exclusion zone.
A WAVE of anti-migrant protests and counter-protests took place across the UK at the weekend, with the largest gathering outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, northeast of London.
The protests followed the charging of an Ethiopian migrant, who had been living at the hotel, with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.
About 1,000 demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off in Epping, trading chants and insults across a police exclusion zone, The Times reported.
Essex police put in place a large security operation, with support from Merseyside Police — who dealt with last summer’s riots — as well as officers from the Metropolitan Police and several other forces. Barricades were erected to separate groups, and the wearing of masks was banned.
Members of Homeland, a far-right splinter group of Patriotic Alternative, were present at the protest. One demonstrator told The Times that the aim was to “stretch the police’s resources as much as possible” so the hotel would stop housing migrants. Protesters gathered outside the Bell Hotel, despite calls from the local council to close it. “They’re a threat. They don’t know who they are, who they’re allowing in these hotels, and basically they’re putting everybody at danger,” a protester identified only as Cathy told AFP.
The counter-protest was organised by Stand Up to Racism, whose members, numbering around 700, chanted “refugees are welcome here” and “Whose streets? Our streets.”
Essex police confirmed three arrests in Epping: a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, both from Loughton, and a 27-year-old woman counter-protester from Deptford. They said the protest ended “peacefully.” However, during previous demonstrations at the hotel, police had reported an escalation of violence.
Anti-migrant protests were also reported at hotels in Wolverhampton, east London, Norwich, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton and Nottinghamshire, according to The Times.
In Wolverhampton, nine men were arrested in the early hours of Sunday and two men were taken to hospital with serious injuries. On Friday evening, a man was charged with obstructing a police officer at a protest in Leeds.
The unrest comes amid concerns that Britain could face another summer of disorder. The issue of thousands of irregular migrants arriving in small boats across the Channel, combined with economic strains, has fuelled anger in parts of the country. Far-right activists have amplified tensions online.
Almost exactly a year ago, on 29 July 2024, three young girls were stabbed to death in Southport, sparking riots after false claims spread that the attacker — a UK-born teenager from a family that came from Rwanda after the 1994 genocide — was a migrant.
Nearly 24,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2025, the highest number recorded at this point in a year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Prime minister Keir Starmer at Chequers near Aylesbury, England. Kin Cheung/Pool via REUTERS
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has said Britain is and always will be a 'multicultural, diverse country', as concerns grow over a rising tide of racism and simmering communal tensions.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, the only print media granted access to the Chequers summit last Thursday (24), the prime minister struck a reassuring tone aimed at ethnic minorities and wealthy entrepreneurs leaving the UK.
Speaking shortly after the historic signing of the India–UK free trade agreement, Starmer told Eastern Eye, “Britain is, and always will be, a multicultural, diverse country. That’s not just a slogan - it’s our history and our strength. We’ve always benefitted from the talent, resilience, and enterprise of people who came here and built their futures, and our country, alongside us.”
His comments come in the wake of growing tensions across the UK, with local communities and rights groups warning of increased hostility towards migrants and ethnic minorities. Protests outside temporary housing for asylum seekers in places like Southport and Epping have drawn national attention and prompted concerns of a broader societal shift.
During the interview with Eastern Eye, the Prime Minister acknowledged these anxieties. “We need to call this out, especially those of us in public life,” Starmer said. “When people start to question the place of communities who’ve been part of this country for generations, we all have a responsibility to speak up - because it’s not just about protecting people, it’s about protecting what Britain is.”
Starmer also acknowledged that while trade diplomacy is vital, social cohesion cannot be taken for granted.
Sir Keir Starmer (R) speaks to Eastern Eye executive editor Shailesh R Solanki and Amit Roy, editor-at-large, during the interview.
He said, “We can’t just focus on economic levers and ignore what’s happening in our streets. When people are being abused because of their background, or businesses feel they’re better off elsewhere, we must ask ourselves - what kind of Britain are we building?”
He said his government would not shy away from difficult conversations on immigration, integration, and identity. “We must always welcome talent and contribution from around the world. That’s not at odds with saying we need fair and proper immigration controls. The two go hand in hand.”
Starmer also hinted at further engagement with ethnic minority business leaders, saying he plans to host a roundtable at Downing Street later this year. “We want to hear directly from those at the coalface — from start-ups to large family-run firms — and make sure we’re building an economy that works for everyone.”
He added: “Britain’s success story is deeply tied to its diversity. If we ever forget that we risk losing not just talent, but our moral compass. We must remain a country where people from every background feel they belong — not despite their identity, but because of it.”
There is also growing disquiet over the departure of prominent British Asian entrepreneurs from the UK. Several high-net-worth individuals who once featured in the Asian Rich List, published annually by Eastern Eye, are reported to have shifted their operations — and in some cases, their residences - to jurisdictions like Dubai and Singapore.
Reasons cited include increasingly complex visa regimes for business families, concerns over taxation, and uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit economic stability.
Starmer did not deny the trend, but said he was determined to reverse it.
“I want Britain to be a magnet for global talent and innovation. That includes those who create jobs, invest in communities, and give back through philanthropy. If people are leaving, we need to listen - and act where needed. My message to entrepreneurs is simple: Britain values you, and we want you to stay,” he told business leaders who have expressed unease about the changing social and economic climate in Britain.
Starmer confirmed that a review of the inheritance tax regime and non-dom tax status is underway. “Any modern tax system must be fair, transparent and globally competitive,” the British leader said. “But fairness doesn’t mean we penalise success - it means we make sure the rewards of that success are felt across society.”
Keir Starmer during the interview
When asked about his seemingly strong rapport with India’s prime minister Narendra Modi, Starmer said the success of their relationship reflected his approach to diplomacy — one that is “serious, pragmatic, respectful, and focused on our national interest as the United Kingdom.”
He stressed that this method avoids performative politics and the habit of “rushing to the media every five minutes to complain about our allies,” opting instead for calm engagement with global leaders. “That is a far better way of doing diplomacy than the rather noisy way in which some of my predecessors – frankly – failed in diplomacy,” he said.
Citing the conclusion of the UK-India trade deal as an example, Starmer pointed out that successive governments and prime ministers had spent years trying to secure the agreement. “By approaching it in a calm, serious, respectful way, we've managed to get that deal,” he said. He added that the deal came about because both countries could see the mutual advantage at this moment, and that the groundwork was laid through careful diplomacy.
He stressed that the India deal was not an isolated success. “The same with the US,” he noted, adding that previous attempts to secure a trade deal with America had also failed under his predecessors. “And of course, in the best part of ten years, we haven't got as close in the relationship with the EU as we did in the recent EU–UK Summit.”
When asked directly about his personal relationship with Modi, Starmer replied, “Yes, very good. We get along very well. We've met each other several times, we've spoken a few times, and I think - and hope - you can see there is a mutual respect and warmth between us.”
He shared that the two leaders had initially scheduled a short one-to-one meeting during the official visit but ended up doubling the time spent talking privately.
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Police and SDRF personnel at the site after a stampede broke out at Mansa Devi temple, in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, Sunday, July 27, 2025. (PTI Photo)
AT LEAST six people died and several others were injured in a stampede at the Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on Sunday (27) morning. The tragedy occurred around 9am (local time) when panic spread among devotees after a rumour of an electric current near the temple stairs caused chaos.
India's prime minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident. In a post on social media platform X, he said: “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a stampede on the route to Mansa Devi temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.”
Located over 500 feet above sea level on the Shivalik Hills, the Mansa Devi temple attracts thousands of pilgrims every day, especially on weekends and during festive periods.
According to Haridwar senior superintendent of police Pramendra Singh Dobal, the panic was caused by a false rumour that electric current had spread through the area near the temple entrance.
"Around 35 people were taken to hospital and six of them died. More than 10 are still under treatment,” he said.
Visuals from the site showed anxious family members waiting outside the hospital, seeking information about their loved ones. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire services were quickly deployed to assist with rescue efforts.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed that a magisterial inquiry had been ordered. "A stampede broke out at the Mansa Devi temple in the morning because of a rumour. We have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and those responsible for spreading the rumour will face strict action," he said.
Uttarakhand Minister Ganesh Joshi, in red shirt, meets an injured lady undergoing treatment at a hospital after a stampede broke out at Mansa Devi temple, in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, Sunday, July 27, 2025. (PTI Photo)
In a post on Facebook, Dhami also shared his condolences and assured that relief operations were ongoing. “SDRF, local police and other rescue teams have reached the spot and are engaged in relief and rescue operations. I am constantly in touch with the local administration and the situation is being closely monitored. I pray to Mata Rani for the safety of all the devotees,” he said.
Stampedes at religious gatherings are, unfortunately, not uncommon in India. In recent months, similar incidents have claimed lives in Odisha, Goa, and Prayagraj. Experts have often pointed to poor crowd management and lack of infrastructure at pilgrimage sites as major factors behind such accidents.
As investigations begin, officials have urged pilgrims to stay calm and cooperate with the administration. Security and crowd control measures around the temple have since been stepped up to prevent further incidents.
(Agencies)
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US president Donald Trump plays golf at Trump Turnberry golf course on July 26, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump played golf under tight security on the first full day of a visit to Scotland on Saturday (26), as hundreds of protesters took to the streets in major cities.
Trump played at his Turnberry resort on the southwest coast of Scotland with son Eric and the US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, waving to photographers. He arrived in his mother's birth country on Friday (25) evening.
His presence has turned the picturesque and normally quiet area into a virtual fortress, with roads closed and police checkpoints in place.
Police officers -- some on quad bikes and others on foot with sniffer dogs -- patrolled the famous course and the sandy beaches and grass dunes that flank it.
Secret service snipers were positioned at vantage points while some other golfers on the course were patted down by security personnel.
The 79-year-old Trump touched down on FridayFriday at nearby Prestwick Airport as hundreds of onlookers came out to see Air Force One and catch a glimpse of its famous passenger.
The president has professed a love of Scotland, but his controversial politics and business investments in the country have made for an uneasy relationship.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Trump immediately waded into the debate surrounding high levels of irregular migration, and lashed out at renewable energy efforts.
Demonstrators gather at Union Terrace protesting against the visit of President Trump to Scotland on July 26, 2025 in Aberdeen, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
"You better get your act together or you're not going to have Europe anymore," he said, adding that migration was "killing" the continent.
"Stop the windmills. You're ruining your countries," he added.
Trump's five-day visit, which is set to mix leisure with business and diplomacy, has divided the local community.
Over on the east coast, several hundred protesters demonstrated outside the US consulate in the capital Edinburgh and further north in the city of Aberdeen, near where Trump owns another golf resort.
The protests were organised by the Stop Trump Coalition, which has called on Scotland's First Minister not to attend a scheduled meeting with Trump.
Participants held placards with slogans like "Scotland hates Trump" and waved Palestinian flags.
"I am here because of fascism in America under Trump's rule. I am here because of genocide in Gaza that is being funded and enabled by British and American governments," said 44-year-old Amy Hanlon in Aberdeen.
No demonstrations could be seen near Turnberry.
Not everyone was against his visit.
At Prestwick Airport on Friday evening a boy held a sign that read "Welcome Trump" while a man waved a flag emblazoned with Trump's most famous slogan -- "Make America Great Again".
"I think the best thing about Trump is he's not actually a politician yet he's the most powerful man in the world and I think he's looking at the best interests of his own country," said 46-year-old Lee McLean, who had travelled from nearby Kilmarnock.
"Most politicians should really be looking at the best interests of their own country first before looking overseas," he said.
Trump had no public events scheduled for Saturday, but he posted on his Truth Social network to say he was talking with the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand in a bid to end their border conflict that has left at least 33 people dead.
Trump is due to discuss trade with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry on Sunday (27).
He is also due to meet prime minister Keir Starmer, before heading to Balmedie in Aberdeenshire where he is expected to open a new golf course at his resort there.
Trump is scheduled to return to the US on Tuesday (29) but will be back in the UK for a state visit between 17-19 September, when he will be hosted by King Charles III.