National
Haj Policy 2018-2022 to be unveiled on Saturday
Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) The government plans to announce the much-awaited new Haj Policy 2018-2022 on Saturday, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here on Friday.
The minister said a four-member committee headed by retired IAS officer Afzal Amanullah would submit its report to the government on the New Haj Policy 2018-2022 on Saturday.
The Haj from next year onwards would be organised in line with the new policy that aims to make the process smoother and more transparent.
According to informed sources, the new Haj Policy is likely to recommend reviving the sea voyage from Mumbai and other locations to Jeddah for the pilgrims which would be highly economical.
Taking a review, Naqvi said this year, pilgrims departed by 454 flights operating between July 24 and August 28, with 1,24,940 going through the Haj Committee of India and the rest, around 45,000, through private operators this year.
In all, around 170,000 pilgrims from India performed Haj this year.
“Ensuring safety and world-class facilities for the pilgrims was our priority. We completed all our preparations keeping in mind…a smoother Haj pilgrimage,” Naqvi said after chairing a post-Haj review committee meeting here.
This year, the Saudi Arabia government had increased the Indian Haj quota significantly to 170,025, enabling more people to perform Haj, he added.
The pilgrims left for Saudi Arabia from 21 embarkation points at New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Goa, Srinagar, Guwahati, Lucknow, Varanasi, Gaya, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Ranchi and Bhopal.
The largest batch of pilgrims — 16,627 — boarded flights from New Delhi, followed by Lucknow (12,314), Kochi (11,805), Ahmedabad (11,073) and Kolkata (10,263), he said.
Naqvi lauded the Air India and other agencies for their support, cooperation and coordination in ensuring a smooth and hassle-free Haj this year and appreciated the Saudi Arabian government for its key role in the same.
–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.