National
Women used to pray at Sabarimala temple: Kerala Minister
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4 (IANS) The Devasom Minister in Kerala on Thursday said there was no ban on women praying in the Sabarimala temple and that women, especially from the erstwhile royal families, used to pray there.
Kadakampally Surendran’s statement came at a time when the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench is looking if the ban on entry into the temple of females in the age group of 10-50 years was discriminatory and violated the Constitution.
The Devasom Ministry controls the various Devasom Boards that run a number of temples in the state including Sabarimala and the Sree Krishna temple at Guruvayoor.
T.K.A. Nair, a former advisor to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said he had been told that way back in 1940 he was seated in his mother’s lap and took part in a ritual at the Sabarimala temple.
Nair was last week appointed Chairman of the advisory committee for improving the facilities for pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala temple.
Countering them, Rahul Eshwar, a member of the Sabarimala temple ‘tantric’ family, said these arguments were meant to weaken the present case in the Supreme Court.
“These are all lies as I have with me records from the British era dating back to 1812 which shows that in a survey report conducted then it states that the Sabarimala temple had banned entry of women falling within a particular age group,” said Eshwar.
In October last year, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan framed five questions to be addressed by the Constitution Bench on the issue.
–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.