National
Darjeeling hills tense, lookout notice against three GJM leaders (Lead)
Darjeeling, Sep 1 (IANS) The CID West Bengal on Friday issued look out notices against three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, including party chief Bimal Gurung, as tensions continued to mount in the northern West Bengal hills following a rift within the Morcha leadership.
Lookout circular was issued against Gurung, Party’s General Secretary Roshan Giri as well as party leader Prakash Gurung, sources said, for their alleged role in various incidents, including blasts in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
Gurung’s supporters on Friday stepped up rallies and picketing, completely stalling flow of life in the region and effectively negating the suspension of the strike that was announced by GJM Joint Secretary Binay Tamang a day ago.
The GJM leadership which convened a central committee meeting in Sikkim on Friday expelled Tamang and senior party leader Anit Thapa, accusing them of conspiring to derail the Gorkhaland movement.
A GJM activist was allegedly killed in police firing while at least nine party leaders were arrested by the police during a raid in south Sikkim’s Namchi.
Thousands of pro-shutdown activists hit the streets at various places in the hills, including Kurseong, Sonada, Rangan and Darjeeling, in shrill condemnation against Tamang and Thapa, who had called off the shutdown for 12 days, starting from September 1.
Hailing Gurung as the undisputed leader of the Gorkhaland movement, the agitators pledged to continue the impasse till the statehood for the region is realised. Slogans like “Binay Tamang murdabad” and “We want Gorkhaland” were raised.
Streets in Darjeeling and other parts of the hills looked deserted. Shops, schools, colleges and offices remained closed since Friday morning.
Gurung, in a purported voice clip from an undisclosed location, has accused some of his party leaders of joining hands with the West Bengal government and of conspiring to foil their agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Terming the renewed agitation in the hills as people’s movement, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri said people in the hills favoured continuing the shutdown till a separate state of Gorkhaland is created.
“This is a people’s movement. The poor people of the hills are ready to suffer even further for the cause of Gorkhaland. We won’t let their sacrifice go in vain,” Giri said.
Claiming that the situation was under control, police in Darjeeling said they would not intervene if the agitation is conducted in a democratic, peaceful manner.
“Some miscreants tried to create ruckus by pelting stones yesterday night. But we dispersed the crowd. Some activists are agitating again today. Police are keeping a close watch. We will not intervene if the agitation is done in a democratic way,” a senior police officer said in Darjeeling.
State Tourism Minister Goutam Deb said the state government is “keeping a close watch” on the situation.
“We hope for an amicable solution to the problem,” Deb said.
–IANS
sgh-mgr/bdc/rn
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.