National
Sirsa curfew relaxed; sect HQ remains tense
Chandigarh, Aug 29 (IANS) Authorities in Haryana’s Sirsa relaxed curfew in the town limits on Tuesday although the area around the Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters on the outskirts remained tense.
The curfew relaxation, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., was announced in view of no incident being reported from Sirsa, 260 km from here, in the past 24 hours.
“The curfew has been relaxed to allow people to buy things of daily use,” Special Commissioner V. Umashankar said.
The curfew restrictions, however, continued near the sect headquarters, about eight kilometre from the town.
Security forces, including the Army, paramilitary and Haryana Police, continued to be stationed around the 700-acre sprawling Dera headquarters campus.
Officials said the campus still has around 15,000 people inside.
While 10,000-12,000 people live inside the campus — which is a mini-town in itself with houses, schools, colleges, hospitals, stadium and other infrastructure; about 2,000-3,000 Dera followers were also still inside as per estimates of the security establishment.
Security forces remained on high alert elsewhere in sensitive areas of Haryana and Punjab, where the sect has its followers and influence. However, there was no curfew in those areas.
Sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday following his conviction by a CBI special court in Panchkula on Friday on two counts of rape of female disciples in 1999.
The sentencing was done at a specially set up court inside the District Jail premises at Sunaria near Rohtak, where the sect chief has been lodged since August 25.
The disgraced self-styled godman was in tears and begged for mercy when he was sentenced by CBI judge Jagdeep Singh on August 28.
The conviction verdict had led to large-scale violence in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, and Sirsa in Haryana by sect followers which left 38 people dead and 264 injured.
–IANS
js/in/bg
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.