National
Take back Hinduism: Tharoor, Nayantara Sahgal speak it out loud at JLF (Roundup)
By Saket Suman
Jaipur, Jan 27 (IANS) The third day of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival witnessed several hard-hitting sessions that addressed the burning issues of nationalism and Hindutva in the contemporary scenario. With acclaimed writers Shashi Tharoor and Nayantara Sahgal leading the charge against what the latter called “Sanghiwadis,” a lot of the day’s happenings on Saturday revolved around Hindutva, and more so reclaiming Hinduism.
Tharoor addressed as many as five sessions during the day and while most of them were themed on literary aspects, the last session of the day was based on his latest book “Why I Am A Hindu”. In conversation with Arundhati Subramaniam, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram waxed eloquently on his idea of Hinduism, which, according to him, is what most Hindus believe in.
In a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tharoor criticised him and his dispensation for double standards. “The Prime Minister says that the constitution is his holy book and at the same time he hails Deendayal Upadhyaya, who did not believe in the constitution. You can either believe in the constitution or hail Deendayal Upadhyaya. Doing both is troubling,” he said.
“To my mind, most of the people I know are unapologetic about being Hindus and they do not believe in belittling the faith of others. Today it is high time that we take back Hinduism from them. Even some of the greatest of our thinkers like Swami Vivekananda did not believe in what they are practising today.
“I don’t know how such a liberal faith as ours has been reduced to such low but I certainly don’t want to have a part in it,” he said during the hour-long session, which ended with evocative phrases from his book like “Garv se kaho main Hindu hoon” (Say proudly that I am a Hindu) and “Main Garv se kehta hoon ki main Indian hoon” (I say proudly that I am an Indian)a. A
Tharoor said that the current government does not want “unity in diversity” but “uniformity” and that, to his mind, is a sign of dangerous times.
“If people are going to burn effigies and attack buses of school children just to prevent somebody from expressing his creative freedom, that is something to worry about. Hindutva is like Hindu wahibiism. It is high time that those of us who are better Hindus than them reclaim Hinduism,” he added.
Acclaimed writer and a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Nayantara Sahgal, reinforced her sustained attack on the “ideology of Hindutva,” dubbing it an extension of Hitler’s and Mussolini’s philosophy, while also emphasising that the country’s Dalit movement is the “strongest and most organised voice” against the current trials of time.
“When the atmosphere in the country is what it is today, there are only two options: One, to get drunk and the other to write a novel and that’s what I have done,” she said. Sahgal’s last novel “When The Moon Shines By Day” is a satire on an age when there are acute restrictions on freedom of expressions as characters in the novel come face-to-face with subjugation by the state.
“It seems to me that the Kshatriya mentality has taken over the country and is trying to decide what we do. I sense a very war-like situation in the country, not only with Pakistan but also with internal enemies,” she said, before describing that the internal enemies are “others” — those who disagree with the current dispensation.
Responding to an interjection from an audience member, she contended that “Hindutva is a problem to me because I am a Hindu. I am not only a born Hindu and practising Hindu. We rejected a religious identity at Independence because we are a deeply religious society of many religions. Our founding fathers ensured that the practitioners of every religion have pride of place in the country”.
“Under that banner of Hinduism, attacks are carried out on freedom of expression. Scientists, artists, filmmakers and everybody who do not agree with them are attacked and killed,” she added.
(Saket Suman is in Jaipur at the invitation of the organisers of Zee Jaipur Literature Festival. He can be contacted at [email protected])
–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.