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Congress fields octogenarian Stokes from Theog in Himachal polls

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Shimla, Oct 23 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes on Monday filed her nomination from Theog seat in Shimla district for the November 9 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.

Stokes, 89, submitted her papers from Theog — the seat she represents in the outgoing assembly — on the last day of filing of nominations.

The eight-time legislator is the oldest candidate in the fray.

Earlier, the Congress high command had cleared Deepak Rathore’s name for Theog after a lot of deliberation on Sunday. He too filed his nomination from Theog on Monday, and would be Stokes’ covering candidate.

Vidya Stokes is a long-time Indian hockey administrator and daughter-in-law of American missionary Satyanand Stokes, who is credited with the apple revolution in the hill state. She is known for her proximity to the Gandhi family.

She was hospitalised on Sunday after complaining of a respiratory problem.

She had earlier declined to re-contest from Theog as Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had expressed a desire to contest from the seat.

Later, the Chief Minister decided to contest from Arki in Solan district.

“The party has decided to field Stokes from Theog as she expressed her desire to re-contest after the Chief Minister’s decision not to contest her seat. She was adamant that she had left the seat only for the Chief Minister and since he is now contesting from Arki, she will fight from Theog,” state Congress President Sukhwinder Sukhu told reporters here.

He said Rathore would be the covering candidate of Stokes.

Born on December 8, 1927, Vidya Stokes is known in political circles for her clean image. She has never taken any salary, be it as a legislator or as a minister, throughout her political career. It’s a different matter that she hails from a landed family.

“I work harder than many others who may be half my age,” she had told IANS.

Vidya Stokes entered state politics in 1974 after the death of her husband Lal Chand Stokes.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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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