Anna Ki Rasoi ensures protesters don't lose steam

Anna Hazare may be on an indefinite fast, but that doesn't mean those lending their voice to him at the Ramlila Maidan, are fasting as well. A tiny kitchen that was set up on first day has now become a fully operational, dishing out breakfast, lunch and dinner to Anna's army.

Anna Ki Rasoi, the 24-hour kitchen, being run by businessman Anil Jain and his friends, that's been supplying food for the thousands of protesters thronging the Ramlila Grounds.

"We came here few days ago to support Anna. We saw there was a need to supply food, so we started this kitchen," said Anil Jain.

What started as a small makeshift kitchen with a handful of people on the August 18 has now turned into a mass operation, with people coming forward with food supplies and even utensils to sustain the kitchen. While one person donated 1 lakh plastic plates, others have joined in, offering to cook.

The queu to get food starts at 8 in the morning and continues till late at night. Organisers say more than 30,000 people are fed at Anna ki Rasoi.

"It's our duty to ensure that the people who come here to protest don't go back hungry," said a volunteer at Anna Ki Rasoi.

So, while Anna Hazare fasts, Anna Ki Rasoi ensures that the protests don't lose steam. After all, one can't really protest on an empty stomach.

Sensex recovers 150 points

The BSE benchmark Sensex recovered over 150 points from the low of 16,213.18. It was supported by heavyweights like TCS, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, BHEL and L&T. The 30-share BSE Sensex was trading at 16,404, up 62 points and the 50-share NSE Nifty was trading 23 points up at 4,923.

TCS and Bajaj Auto were top gainers rising over 4%. Bharti Airtel, Infosys, L&T, DLF and BHEL rallied 1.5-2.5%. SBI and HDFC Bank rebounded with modest gain. Even Reliance Industries too showed some recovery from day's low.

However, selling in counters like ONGC, NTPC, ITC, ICICI Bank, Wipro, M&M, Cipla, Tata Motors, HDFC and Maruti Suzuki capped their upside.

Market breadth also improved; about 865 shares advanced as against 472 shares declined on National Stock Exchange.

Sensex turns volatile after initial spike

The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed higher on positive Asian cues in the opening trade but fell soon after as IT, oil & gas, financial, select metal, auto and FMCG stocks came under pressure. At 9:19 hours IST, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading at 16,324, down 17 points and the 50-share NSE Nifty was trading 5 points lower at 4,893.

Among the stocks, Wipro, HCL Tech, M&M, Tata Motors, ICICI Bank, SBI, Tata Steel and GAIL were witnessing selling pressure.

However, Sesa Goa, SAIL, L&T, Reliance Power, Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Communications, Siemens, DLF, Axis Bank, JSPL, ACC, Bajaj Auto, HUL, TCS and Infosys were supporting the market.

The CNX Midcap rose 31 points to 7,270. About 489 shares advanced while 429 shares declined on NSE.

GVK Power rallied 4% after its arm bought Siemens` 14% in Bangalore Airport SPV.

IVRCL and Punj Lloyd gained 0.5-1%.

Asian stocks fall, gold reaches fresh high

Asian stocks fell slightly on Monday, expanding last week's steep losses and gold hit another new high as investors continue to worry about the economic outlook in the United States and European debt woes.

Spot gold prices hit a record high at USD 1,878.39 per ounce as investors moved more money into the safe haven.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.3%as the prospects for currency market intervention offset growing worries of another US recession.

The yen fell slightly against the dollar , down 0.1% at 76.70, below its record high at around 75.95 on Friday.

Stocks elsewhere in the region lost 0.3% at 0100 GMT, their third day of declines.

S&P 500 futures fell 0.4% in Asia, pointing to more losses for Western markets later in the day.

"The market may rather see 'mild' selling than 'sharp' selling," said Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities.

Markets will later watch data on bond buying by the European Central Bank, while later in the week investors will closely follow the economic outlook given by US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday morning.

Brent oil fell 1.63% to USD 106.85, weighed down by a firmer US dollar and the as the months-long conflict in oil-producing Libya appeared to enter its decisive phase.

Nifty opens flat

The Indian market kicked off the expiry week on a tepid note after a roller coaster ride it had witnessed last week. Asian markets were trading flat.

All eyes are now set on Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech this coming Friday. Some investors are hoping for a case of deja vu — that the Fed may hint at more stimulus at its annual Jackson Hole gathering as a panacea against a worsening economic outlook.

At 09.25 hrs IST, the Sensex was down 61.89 points or 0.38% at 16079.78, and the Nifty was down 20.70 points or 0.43% at 4824.95. About 630 shares advanced, 587 shares declined, and 2455 shares remain unchanged.