World
India to be ‘Country of Honour’ at prestigious Abu Dhabi Festival 2018
Abu Dhabi, Nov 28 (IANS) In a significant honour, India has been declared as the ‘Guest of Honour country for the prestigious 15th Abu Dhabi Festival (ADF), a month-long festival celebrating art and culture, to be held in March 2018 in Abu Dhabi. It will see performances by ‘The Merchants of Bollywood an Indian theatrical extravaganza, ‘We The Living, a classical Indian dance inspired by Rumis ‘The Human Being by the Tanusree Shankar Dance Academy and sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.
The announcement of India being the Guest of Honour country was made at a packed press conference at the Emirates Palace Auditorium on Monday, according to a UAE Embassy press release.
The Festival will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance.
The selection of India as Guest of Honour country is significant as 2018 is being celebrated as the ‘Year of Zayed’, to mark the birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the UAE and the country’s first President.
ADF 2018 will see the participation of more than 500 international artistes and 40 composers from 30 countries.
Indian Artists of eminence will participate in the event. The India-related events will include workshops by Gilles Chuyen, who has been trained in France in Folk, Modern Ballet and Contemporary dance styles and as choreographer and works extensively with Bollywood; and Collaboration between Rajeev Kumar and UAE’s Mohammed Mandi, both eminent calligraphists, from India and UAE respectively.
Umm AL Emarat Park will showcase ‘The Raghu Dixit Project’, one of India’s most exciting live acts with some of the finest musicians.
Navdeep Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said: “It is a matter of pride that India has been chosen as the Guest of Honour for the 2018 edition of Abu Dhabi Festival. We look forward to working closely with Her Excellency Huda AlKhamis-Kanoo and her team to bring some of the finest elements of Indian culture to the arts loving people of Abu Dhabi.”
He said the “cultural effort that India or the Indian community has made in UAE has principally been directed toward the Indian community. By collaborating with ADF 2018 we hope to supplement these efforts to take Indian culture mainstream and make sure that there is a much better understanding of an India beyond Bollywood. That is why the focus is on showcasing some of India’s magnificent diversity.”
–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.