National
Doklam not over yet, India needs to end ‘romantic’ foreign policy: Ram Madhav
New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) India should give up its “romantic” foreign policy and learn to deal with its neighbours the way they should be dealt with, senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said on Thursday, cautioning that the Doklam issue with China was not over yet.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to maintain its “good relationship” with China, Madhav said New Delhi handled the Doklam dispute with maturity — using its foreign policy clout and hard posturing on the ground.
“Here we deployed mature diplomacy together with strong ground posturing. But having said that, Doklam is not over,” he said.
The remarks assume significance in the wake of reports that China has started building up its military forces near the Doklam plateau which was at the centre of a protracted stand-off early this year between the militaries of the two countries.
Madhav didn’t discuss the issue further given “the constraints”, he said, he faced as a BJP leader.
“Our foreign policy is largely driven by romantic ideas. Since I am a member of the ruling party I cannot say much about it. But I am a firm believer that romanticism should end,” Madhav said, addressing a gathering at the M.L. Sondhi Memorial Lecture here.
He said while India had created its neighbourhood it had not learnt how to live with them.
“We have created neighbours, we also should have learnt to live with them. The history of the last five decades suggests probably we have not learnt to live with them. To learn to live with your neighbour, you should know who he is,” said Madhav, a known expert in the BJP on matters related to China.
He said China was an important neighbour to India as “the obsession of the common man in India” was shifting from India-Pakistan ties to India-China relationship.
“The obsession today is China. Maintaining good relationship with an important neighbour like China is definitely a matter of priority for the government. I have a hope in this relationship because Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are strong leaders with firm commitments and fortunately both enjoy personal goodwill and good rapport.”
He said the Tibet issue needed a “pragmatic” approach that honours both India’s commitment to China as on its status and Tibetans as “honored guests” in the country.
“As a nation, we have given commitment to China about its status. We should have a pragmatic policy (on Tibet),” Madhav said.
Head of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobsang Sangay, who delivered the lecture, said India should treat Tibet as a “core issue” and expressed his concerns over growing Chinese influence in India’s neighbourhood.
The chief of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said Tibet held the “key” to Beijing in many ways and can also be a “potential catalyst” to bring about changes inside China.
“India should declare Tibet as one of the core issues like China. It should make it part of the formal dialogue agenda. Had India taken a stand in 1950s and 60s (things would have been different),” he said.
He said Tibetans should be granted the lost “guardianship” of the Tibetan plateau, which was “necessary”.
They should have a say on the usage of water of rivers located in the Tibetan plateau, he said, referring to reports of highly-polluted water from Brahmaputra’s tributary flowing into India.
This, he said, indicated that the Chinese may be building dams somewhere in Tibet.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have drawn the attention of the Centre on the river contamination which is believed to have been caused due to activities on the Chinese side.
–IANS
sar/rn
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.