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Barbara Thackray, 84, started running when she was 77 and now runs 20km a week

Father Stan Swamy denied links to outlawed groups; told a court that his health had worsened and he would soon die

People enter the Mosque of Bayonne in southwestern France, March 5, 2015. AFP/Iroz Gaizka/FilesPARIS: Two elderly men were seriously wounded on Monday after they caught an assailant trying to burn a French mosque in Bayonne, police said, and the...

Ever since making his debut in January 2016, Jasprit Bumrah has become a vital cog for Team India in limited-overs cricket. The right-arm seamer first grabbed eyeballs with his unorthodox action, and then his bowling skills. Armed with an anomalous, sling-arm action and natural pace, the peculiar release point of Bumrah's deliveries have become a nemesis for the opposition batsmen. The 23-year-old, in a relatively short span of time, has notched up the world no. 2 rank in T20s and is arguably Virat Kohli's go-to man in dire situations. But, while the youngster has scaled new heights in world cricket after quickly rising through the ranks in the Indian team, his grandfather is unfortunately struggling to make ends meet. © Reuters Santokh Singh Bumrah is currently living in a rented home and drives a tempo to earn a living. The Indian bowler's octogenarian grandfather resides in Uddham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand and has been driving a tempo since he moved there from Ahmedabad. However, Santokh's is a story of fate taking turns, twisted circumstances, love and an unending bond between a grandfather and his grandson. Jasprit's grandfather had a successful business in Gujarat, wherein he owned three factories. Managing a flourishing business with his son Jasveer Singh Bumrah, things weren't this bad for Santokh and his family earlier. But, tragedy struck in 2001 and everything changed since then. Jasprit's father Jasbir died that year and his death shattered Santokh which also saw him lose his flourishing business. With some hefty loans to pay, Santokh was forced to sell off his factories. If that wasn't enough, the separation of Jasprit and Santokh after Jasbir's death only added to their woes. While Jasprit was raised by his mother in Ahmedabad, his grandfather Santokh moved to Uttarakhand after selling off his factories. In a bid to re-establish himself, Santokh started a new business after purchasing four tempos. But, it was not to be, as he once again began incurring losses in his new business. He was forced to sell three of the four tempos and now, at an age of 84, he rides the remaining tempo to put food on the table for his family. It's been almost 17 years, since Santokh met or spoke to his popular grandson who has now become a crucial member of the Indian cricket team. But, that hasn't stopped him from watching Bumrah make their family proud in international cricket. "It feels great to see Jasprit on television screen performing so well in international matches. I pray to god for his success and wish I could meet him once before I die," Santokh was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. © Hindustan Times Jasprit's uncle Jaswinder Singh revealed that the family intends to reunite and for that to happen "either Jasprit meet us or else we are looking forward to meeting him". For a youngster who fought off adversities early in his life, Jasprit has surely come a long way to establish himself in international cricket. But, while the 23-year-old cricketer is busy making India proud, a teary-eyed Santokh who is forced to work in such an old age is anxiously waiting to hug him before he dies.

Like any other cause, our patriotism is dependent on comfort. While we stand for the national anthem in cinema halls, we litter on the streets. On one hand, we hail Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, and on the other, we don’t blink an eyelid when we see men peeing on the roads. We praise our army but we turn a blind eye to the conditions in which our armymen suffer. © Reuters Actor Akshay Kumar has time and again donated money to help the families of soldiers killed in war. What we don’t expect is an ordinary citizen with a 9-to-5 job stepping up to do the same, even more. Janardan Bhat is a retired SBI officer who has donated all his life savings, amounting to Rs 1 crore to the National Defence Fund. © ANI Deeply affected by the frequent reports of soldiers being slain in war, and the problematic conditions under which they function, Mr Bhat decided to do his bit. He had saved a fair bit of money from his earning at SBI and had also invested in places. Together with his wife, he donated all his savings towards the army fund. While a state of war is never desirable, it can't be helped if we already have tension at the border. Our soldiers have protected our borders with their blood, sweat and tears and continue to do so. The least this country can do for them is to be grateful to them and express it in whichever way it can.