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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a momentous occasion worthy of a celebration. And the Kerala Congress(Mani) did celebrate the fiftieth year of its formation in grand style.

Paradoxically, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi succeeded in persuading the Japanese and Chinese investors, he failed to influence the big American investors. Instead, his political wave and speech impelled the Indian Diaspora only. While a number of billion dollar projects were signed during his visit to Japan and the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India, no major deal was signed during his visit to USA. Nor any major commitment was made by the US government.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh is the home state of Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi – the founder of ‘Bacchpan Bachao Andolan’.

Salman M has made it to the headlines recently as the 25-year-old student from Kerala facing life imprisonment following his refusal to stand up during the national anthem in a theatre. His arrest and subsequent denial of bail garnered a lot of controversy as he was charged with sedition for, reportedly, ‘sitting and disrespecting’ the national anthem. Beyond the bizarre and disturbing decision by the lower courts, this is a story that is being interpreted by many as an ominous omen of politicisation of the surge of nationalistic fervour throughout the country. Only time will tell us if it is but a discrete story of some overzealous lower court officials or an indication of an emerging trend, but suffice it to say that the issue deserves more than a sensational headline, it warrants a national conversation.

Recent unprovoked firing by Pakistan at the Line of Control and as well as at the international border shows the utter helplessness and desperation on its part. India has suspended the dialogue process as Pakistan opted to talk to Kashmiri separatists which the former said was against the spirit of the Shimla Agreement and Lahore Declaration. Subsequently, Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing at the border with the intention to humiliate India and to aid infiltration of terrorists. Pakistan shelling has taken toll on civilian life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Defence Minister Arun Jaitley may not be fully aware how the United States made India play a pawn under the UPA’s 10-year-long Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh regime in America’s psychological war against the People’s Republic of China, trying to contain the latter’s geo-political ambition and keep control of the vital South China Sea that handles $5.5-trillion-worth global cargo movement annually. The US is keen to set up a shipbuilding cum repair yard at Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay with India and Vietnam as key stakeholders, mainly for the use by its naval ships. Over 600,000 ocean going vessels, including naval ships, move through South China Sea per year. The proposed yard codenamed ‘X-52-5’ was earlier considered as financially non-viable.

BHOPAL: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan is over excited after the fourth Global Investors Summit organized at Indore. His excitement can be ascribed to two reasons. First, the Prime Minister came to join the Summit and he appreciated Mr Chauhan a lot for the development of the state. Second reason is the quantum of investment promised during the Summit which amounts to around 6.89 lakh crores. The investments were promised not only by the private sector entrepreneurs, but many central ministries taking part in the Summit promised the same.

Hindutva crossed another red line in Indian politics on October 3 when the state-owned Doordarshan news channel made a live broadcast, for the first time ever, of the Vijayadashami (Dussehra) address of a Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh chief.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decline in the eyes of the middle class began within days of her assumption of office when she rushed to a police station to secure the release of several anti-socials who had been rounded up by the police on the charges of hooliganism.

BHOPAL: The three day Global Investors meet concluded last week with the promise of investment to the tune of Rs. 6.89 lakh crores in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing media after the conclusion of the fourth such summit, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that the government has received 3,165 investment proposals worth Rs. 4.36 lakh crore from investors who registered on the official website.