World
Threats endangering South Asia’s peace on rise: Sushma
New York, Sep 22 (IANS) In a veiled reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that threats and incidents endangering South Asia’s peace and stability are on the rise.
“Regional prosperity, connectivity and cooperation can take place only in an atmosphere of peace and security,” she said while addressing a ministerial meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) on Thursday on the margins of the UN General Assembly Session here.
“It, however, remains at serious risk in the region. The number of threats and incidents that endanger South Asia’s peace and stability are on the rise.
“It is necessary for our region’s survival that we eliminate the scourge of terrorism in all its forms, without any discrimination, and end the ecosystem of its support,” she added.
Last year, following a cross-border terror attack on an army camp at Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri in September, India pulled out of the Saarc Summit that Islamabad was supposed to host in November.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka too followed suit thereby derailing the event.
Stating that India has hosted the first two meetings of the High Level Group of Eminent Experts to Strengthen Saarc Anti-Terrorism Mechanism, Sushma Swaraj said that implementation of the decisions of these meetings as well as those of the meetings of home ministers in both letter and spirit was crucial in this context.
“Regional cooperation can only be successful if it meets the expectations of the people,” she said.
“With a significant percentage of the region’s population still under poverty, Saarc needs to deliver on its commitments. Major Saarc initiatives have, however, not moved forward.”
Sushma Swaraj also said that Saarc’s immense potential for trade remained underutilised as further trade liberalisation under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta) and operationalisation of the Saarc Agreement on Trade in Services remained pending, “awaiting response by some member states”.
Stating that energy was the engine of growth, she said the Saarc Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation that the Saarc leaders signed at the 18th Saarc Summit and would facilitate cross-border power trade has not entered into force “due to non-ratification by some member states”.
“Connectivity is vital to achieve the goals of growth employment and prosperity,” she said.
“It is recognizing this importance of physical connectivity that we collectively decided to finalize a Saarc Motor Vehicle Agreement and Saarc Regional Railways Agreement. It would be important to conclude these agreements at the earliest.”
Sushma Swaraj also said that the construction of the campus of the South Asian University in New Delhi was going on in full swing.
On cooperation in disaster management, she said: “At our meeting in Pokhara (in Nepal) last year, India was entrusted the responsibility to set up the Saarc Disaster Management Centre. India has set up an interim centre, finalised its eventual blueprint and prepared a calendar of activities.”
–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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