National
Opposition should stem defection to Modi camp: Chidambaram (IANS Interview)
By V.S. Chandrasekar and Brajendra Nath Singh
New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Unless opposition parties stem defection to Modi’s camp, it will be difficult to put up a united fight against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, says senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram.
He also feels the line-up for the next polls is not clear yet, but the Congress must co-opt other opposition parties to create a broad platform to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“The line up is not clear. See, two things are happening. Some opposition parties — JD-U, AIADMK — are defecting to Modi’s camp. In the case of other opposition parties, significant leaders and significant sections of parties are defecting to the BJP camp. Unless the opposition parties stem this defection, it will be difficult to put up a united fight against the BJP,” Chidambaram told IANS in an interview, the first part of which, dealing with the economy, was released Tuesday.
The former Finance Minister said that in Gujarat the Congress lost 14 MLAs and Trinamool Congress lost six in Tripura.
“These are serious setbacks. This is a problem and the Congress party has to address the problem. First, it must stem any defection of its leaders and ranks to the BJP. Second, it must co-opt other opposition parties and create a broad platform. Since the Congress is the only other party with a national footprint, it is the Congress’ duty to create this opposition platform,” he said.
Asked about parties like Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal and how to rope them into an anti-BJP platform, Chidambaram said, “I don’t deal with these matters or the leaders. All I can say is that it is in the interest of the nation that these parties come together on one platform.”
He also expressed confidence that like-minded parties could be brought together. “There are people on the job.”
To a question on the perception war the BJP won on the demonetisation issue, Chidambaram said, “I don’t know whether he (Modi) is winning. He won the war earlier. But after the demonetisation report (of RBI) and the GDP number, I think there is a change in perception.”
He conceded that the opposition parties did not fully exploit the demonetisation fiasco because of the dissenting voices among them.
“Nitish Kumar, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Navin Patnaik … they welcomed demonetisation. The opposition did not speak in one voice against demonetisation and that muddied the waters; and Modi’s ability to communicate and convince a large proportion of people to believe that the demonetisation was something good for the country. But after the RBI report I doubt if a majority of the people are still convinced that the demonetisation was good. But that only time will tell,” he said.
Speaking about the Congress, Chidambaram said, “It is mixed. In Gujarat we lost 14 MLAs. Newspaper reports say there is some dissent in Bihar. After we lost 14 MLAs, the rest of the party in Gujarat is consolidated and has got greater confidence. In Telangana the party is very active. But in Andhra Pradesh, the Nandyal bypoll result is very dismal. The picture is mixed across the country. Within the party, its a mixed picture.”
Asked about the Congress leadership and when Rahul Gandhi would take over reins of the party, Chidambaram said he is the Vice President and he did not know when he will take over as the party president.
(V.S. Chandrasekar and Brajendra Nath Singh can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected])
–IANS
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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.
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