National
Poor sanitation keeps away many tourists from India: Javadekar
New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) India has more to offer to tourists than any other country but many prefer to stay away given the poor sanitation in the country, union HRD Minister Prakash Navadeskar said on Tuesday.
“We have more places worth visiting than any other country but Paris alone draws 10 times more tourists than entire India. You know why this is so? Because our tourist spots are not clean,” Javadekar said.
He was addressing a programme organised by Sulabh International to award students for the work done in keeping their schools clean.
The Minister said the same Indian who would not litter the streets of Singapore would not think twice before throwing a banana peel or a chocolate wrapper on the roads here.
Javadekar asked the students to herald “the cult of cleanliness” and said it is their parents who need more education to shed the notion that only certain people should do the work of cleaning.
The Minister praised Bindeshwar Pathak — who started Sulabh, a community toilet service at nominal price — for ushering in a “great revolution” towards sanitation.
“The creation of Sulabh is a historic step. And it has been 50 years since it was started… When it was first conceptualised, people thought who will pay to do this. But Pathakji made it possible by keeping them clean, and inculcating the same habit among others,” he said.
Pathak started Sulabh Shauchalaya service in 1970 from Bihar to cater especially to the poor. It provides bathing and laundry facilities as well.
About 4,50,000 toilets were built in government schools in one year under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Javadekar said, resulting in more girl students coming to the schools instead of dropping out as was the case earlier.
During the event, 120 students were felicitated.
The exercise is part of the Sulabh School Sanitation Club of which 6,500 students from more than 200 schools are members.
The club aims at inculcating a habit of cleanliness among students from an early age.
–IANS
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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.