National
Parliament shouldn’t be platform for scoring brownie points: VP
Kolkata, Dec 30 (IANS) Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said parliament should not become a platform for scoring political brownie points.
“The time has come for serious introspection on the part of political parties to see that parliament does not become a platform for scoring political brownie points,” Naidu said.
“There is no other alternative but to ensure that parliament functions in an effective and responsive manner to further peace, progress and prosperity in the country,” the Vice President added.
Addressing a seminar here on ‘Revitalizing Parliamentary Democracy in India’ on the occasion of the 187th anniversary celebrations of Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, Naidu expressed concern over the functioning of parliament in the backdrop of the severe criticism from various quarters, including the parliamentary fraternity itself.
“This criticism is due to the way parliament and the state legislatures are functioning. It may be due to a decline, in recent years, in both the quantity and quality of parliamentary work,” Naidu said.
According to him, disruptions during parliament session are a matter of “concern” as they have become the order of the day with the political parties failing to rein in their members.
Over the years, parliament’s legislative business and the number of hours it devotes to debate crucial issues of national importance have come down, he said, adding that even, the relatively fewer days when Parliament meets are often marked by pandemonium, resulting in frequent adjournments on trivial topics.
Naidu pointed out political parties need to arrive at a consensus on this important issue so that the precious time of parliament and legislatures is “not wasted on issues which can be best resolved through debates and dialogues”.
“But unfortunately, at present healthy debate and discussions, the hallmark of parliamentary democracy’ are overshadowed by disruption, confrontation, and forced adjournments of the house. On many occasions, Parliament gets stalled resulting in wastage of public money and loss of working hours,” he said.
As a result, parliament finds itself unable to discuss and deliberate on important socio-economic issues which affect the people and the country, Naidu added.
–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.