National
Tharoor attacks PM, says it will be Modi’s last Budget
By Saket Suman
Jaipur, Jan 28 (IANS) Known for his vibrant diction in English, Congress MP and writer Shashi Tharoor has often sent twitteratis looking for dictionaries but the writer of the just-released “Why I Am A Hindu,” reinforced his sustained attack on the Hindutva ideology by making a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and maintained that “this is going to be the last Budget” of the Modi government – all of this, bilingually, in Hindi and English.
Tharoor has often been criticised as an “English-speaking elite” and therefore his emphasis on Hindi, the language spoken or understood by a majority in the northern part of India, bears immense political relevance.
A regular at the Jaipur Literature Festival, he addressed a session on his last book “An Era of Darkness,” which has, incidentally, also been translated into Hindi and therefore engaged with the audience here in the language. Later, he addressed a press conference and took questions from the visiting media.
Speaking mostly in Hindi, with brief corrections in English where required, the Congress MP who represents Thiruvananthapuram in Parliament said that “this is going to be the last Budget of his (Modi) government,” and some desperate measures like creation of jobs may be anticipated from the Budget.
“They must live up to the promises that they had made. So, they may do something on employment to catch attention,” he said.
Tharoor made a direct attack on Modi by saying: “Jisne kaha ki na khaunga aur na khane dunga, who aaj pakode ki baat karne lage hain. Woh nahi samajhte ki log chai aur pakode isliye bech rahe hain kyonki jobs nahi hai (The one who said he will neither be corrupt nor tolerate corruption is today talking about pakodas. He does not understand that people are selling tea and pakodas only because there are no jobs).”
Notably, in a recent interview to a television channel, Modi had answered criticism over not creating enough jobs by saying a pakoda seller earning Rs 200 a day should also be considered employed.
Responding to a question on Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Tharoor said that “we must give him time to review” the measure of his party.
“Rahul Gandhi is not a reluctant politician. We saw him in Gujarat — he was travelling all the time and has shown his work,” he said in response to a question that had billed Rahul as a “reluctant politician”.
Meanwhile, his sustained attack on the ideology of Hindutva continued on the second-last day of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
He reiterated that there is a need “to take back Hinduism” from the practitioners of Hindutva, while also highlighting that Hindutva and Hinduism are totally different. “Hinduism does not teach violence and people who attack and lynch others cannot be Hindus, they are anti-Hindus,” he said.
The fulcrum of Tharoor’s latest book rests on an argument which seeks to establish a narrative that an average Indian’s belief in Hinduism is not in sync with that of Hindutva.
He ends his book by arguing that there is a need to “take back Hinduism,” and has propelled a relentless critique of the ideology in almost each of his recent public appearances.
(Saket Suman 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.