Connect with us

National

Pinarayi Vijayan tightens his iron grip on the CPI-M (News Analysis)

Published

on

By Sanu George
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 (IANS) With the CPI-M preparing for its state conference next month, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is all set to ensure there is no one to challenge him in the state and he has complete control over the party – and will be hoping his clout will give him a larger say in the partys national affairs.

Ahead of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state conference in Thrissur from February 22 to 25, he has ensured that his is the final word in all the 14 districts.

Gone are the days when the party was deeply divided between Vijayan and former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who, even though he led the campaign from the 2016 assembly elections, was upstaged by the former and prevented from occupying for the Chief Minister’s chair a second time.

Since then, it has been Vijayan all the way, with only a small faction left with the veteran Achuthanandan.

If one looks back over the years, unlike in other parties, the final word in the CPI-M has been that of the party’s State Secretary, to whom the Chief Minister often played second fiddle.

The one reason why Vijayan has been able to have an iron grip on the party is his 17-year uninterrupted reign as the State Secretary from 1998 to 2015, during which he was able to edge out even the hugely-popular Achuthanandan.

On account of his long tenure, he has been able to pick and choose his aides and if Achuthanandan had some sections of the party with him at the time of the 2015 state party conference, Vijayan has had a free run this time around. By the time the 14 district party meetings are over later this month, there will be only one leader at the helm and it would be the 72-year-old Vijayan.

Vijayan managed to do this when he saw to it that Achuthanandan was kept out of the district meetings. Another Politburo member from the state who has been sidelined this time is M.A. Baby.

The present state Secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who is close to Vijayan and also a Politburo member, will, in all likelihood, get a second term at the state party conference.

All eyes are now on the constitution of the state committee and state secretariat, besides the selection of the around 175 members to attend the CPI-M’s 22nd Party Congress in Hyderabad in April.

With the party’s West Bengal unit losing its sheen, it’s going to be an added bonus for the Chief Minister, whose relationship with CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri is not all that warm.

Much like senior party leader and former General Secretary Prakash Karat, who is from Kerala, Vijayan is strongly opposed to any truck with the Congress for elections. Yechuri, on the other hand, believes aligning with the Congress is the need of the hour given the rise and rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and other right wing forces.

The question now is: Will Vijayan will be able to consolidate his position and play the kingmaker in Hyderabad?

(Sanu George can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
sg/vm

Continue Reading

National

Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

Published

on

By

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.

Continue Reading

Trending