National
Centre does not provide any support to Gangasagar fair: Mamata
Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) Taking a swipe at the central government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed while the they heavily aid the ‘Kumbh Mela’ they do not provide any monetary support in the Gangasagar fair in spite of it being one of the country’s biggest religious fairs.
“Gangasagar Mela is one of the biggest fairs in the country. In fact it is second biggest fair after the Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela gets a lot of aids from the Government of India, but the centre do not provide us any monetary support for organising the Gangasagar Mela. It never does,” Banerjee said after inaugurating the ‘Vivek chetana Utsav’ here to observe the birth anniversary of great Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda.
“We are doing everything possible for the safety and security of the devotees on behalf of the state government. Thousands of people from all over the country have come here to attend the Gangasagar Mela. I want to welcome and thank all of you for coming to Bengal,” she said.
Banerjee said her government has taken several steps like waiving off the taxes from the fair, providing adequate transportation and giving an overall insurance cover in case of accidental deaths of the pilgrims and other during the fair.
“If anything happens to anybody during the three days of the fair, be it the pilgrims, media persons or the general public, their family would get Rs. 5 lakh as part of the insurance cover, provided by the state government,” she said.
The Gangasagar fair is held in South 24 Pargana district’s Sagar Island at the southern most part of Bengal where lakhs of pilgrimage from all over the country and abroad comes to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal during this time of the year.
The six day fair’s main days are January 14 and 15 this year. However, thousands of devotees have started thronging the island already.
The Chief Minister also announced the formation of a committee chaired by state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee to oversee the celebrations next year on occasion of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s speech in Chicago.
“Next year would be the 125th anniversary of Swami ji’s Chicago speech. To observe the occasion, we will organise a cultural programme with one lakh students and youth in Salt Lake stadium,” Banerjee said.
“The state government is announcing the formation of a committee that would take various initiatives on character building of the students in state schools and colleges. The state Education Minister would chair the committee. The Ramakrishna Mission would also be a part of it,” she added.
–IANS
mgr/vd
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.