delegation from Pakistan comprising of Justice (Retd) Nasir Alam Zahid and Karamat Ali, director of the Pakistan Institute for Labour, Education and Research, invited social activist Anna Hazare to visit Pakistan.

The delegation that was in India primarily to discuss the issue of Pakistani fishermen, who have been arrested for territorial waters violations, said many people in Pakistan were inspired by Hazare and they would like him to visit Pakistan and meet those who want to fight against corruption there. Following the example of the Gandhian septuagenarian Hazare, Pakistani businessman Raja Jahangir Akhtar also started an anti-corruption hunger strike. Akhtar's fast drew attention to the issue of the all-pervasive corruption in Pakistan.

Anna Hazare accepted the invitation and said if his visit can encourage activists he will certainly consider visiting Pakistan once he has fully recovered.

[ Back to Top ]

India could become the world's third largest economy in 2011 by overtaking Japan in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).

India currently is the fourth-largest economy after the US, China and Japan. Since the devastating tsunami and earthquakes in March, Japan's economy is expected to shrink while India's economy will grow by 8% this fiscal.

GDP is measured according to the domestic purchasing power of the rupee, otherwise called purchasing power parity (PPP) that measures the size of an economy by levelling price differences between countries that occurs in the process of conversion to a single currency.

Considering these projections, India could now join with Brazil, Russia and China (BRIC) to form a fund to stabilise unstable economies in the Eurozone.

Economists admit that while the change in the rank of a country does not mean much, it indicates broad trends in the growth trajectories of nations. The size of the Indian economy is expected to reach almost $5 trillion by the end of 2011.

[ Back to Top ]

Dayalal Dungarji Patidar 35, was found dead on the railway tracks near Bhayander in Mumbai in June. Subsequently the police registered an accidental death.

Dayalal's brother Tejpal appealed to the court claiming he had reason to believe his brother was murdered, as Dayalal's wife was involved in an adulterous affair with one Kamlesh, and was frustrated with her impotent husband. The court ordered the Vasai police to reopen the case.

Investigations revealed that wife Jayamala conspired with her father to get rid of Dayalal. The father in turn conspired with his brother and Jayamala's lover Kamlesh.

Investigations were reopened and the post mortem clearly showed that Dayalal had sustained only severe head injuries which does not prove death occurred as a result of being run over by a train. Teams are now to be dispatched to Rajasthan to further investigate the four accused in the case who are said to be absconding.

[ Back to Top ]

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, during his showy much trumpeted three day fast, when Muslim men and women were paraded at the venue, slipped back into character.

As a mark of respect a Muslim maulvi offered him a skull cap. Modi who was seen in various head gear to ingratiate himself with Hindu sects and minorities however could not bring himself to accept the traditional Muslim headwear.

Congress criticised him for the sugar coated snub saying he is playing the communal card to win the assembly elections.

Modi undaunted, continued his sweeping statements like 'Muslim welfare is a subset of Gujarat's overall growth'.

Not surprisingly but certainly uncannily, Modi basked in the sound of many voices raised in his favour from the BJP, the PDP and the MNS.

[ Back to Top ]

The Central Government rushed specialised teams for rescue, relief and medical operations to Sikkim that was rocked by powerful earthquakes.

The Crisis Management Group met and assessed the situation after which two IAF planes with four teams of the National Disaster Response Force were sent to Sikkim. Five more teams are also being sent from Kolkata.

Army units and field hospitals have also been mobilised and the Border Roads Organisation has been mobilised to restore traffic on the highway that connects Sikkim with the rest of India.

[ Back to Top ]