National
Rahul munches on ‘pakodas, bhajjis’ in north Karnataka town
Raichur (Karnataka), Feb 12 (IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday stopped by a roadside eatery in north Karnataka’s Raichur town and munched hot and spicy pakodas and bhajjis and sipped tea in a plastic cup along with state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other party officials.
“Gandhi alighted from the special bus in which he is touring the district and entered the eatery to munch spicy pakodas and bhajjis, served on a paper plate, and sipped tea in a plastic cup, sitting comfortably on a wooden bench,” a party official told IANS here, about 500 km from the state capital Bengaluru.
Pakodas and bhajjis are made of cereal powder paste mixed with grated onion and green chillies and coriander leaves, fried in oil.
Gandhi is on a maiden visit to Karnataka since Saturday after becoming the party president in December. He is touring the northern region since Saturday on a ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ for the people’s blessings ahead of the assembly polls in the state, due in late April or early May.
Gandhi’s surprise act of stopping by the roadside eatery drew curious crowds and surprised the owner of the eatery and his assistants who were delighted to serve the 47-year-old scion of the Gandhi family in the way they do for ordinary customers.
Though stopping by the eatery was not in the schedule, Gandhi asked the driver to stop the bus on the roadside and walked into the open eatery along with his security men and sat on one of its benches for the hot snacks.
“Pakodas and bhajjis are popular snacks in the region, which is semi-arid and hotter than other parts of the state. They are a side dish served at breakfast, for lunch and dinner in homes and eateries.
State Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, party’s state unit president G. Parameshwara, party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and party’s state in-charge and lawmaker K.C. Venugopal also joined Gandhi in sharing the snacks and sipping the “Irani” chai, famous in the Deccan region.
“When Rahul asked the eatery owner how the business was and how much he earned a day, the latter told him about Rs 2,000 on average. Rahul took out a Rs 2,000 note and gave it to the owner for serving him and about 50 party leaders and cadres on the occasion,” recalled the official.
After touring Koppal and Ballari districts on the weekend, Gandhi is touring Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburgi and Bidar in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region on Monday and Tuesday to interact with people, farmers, women and children for boosting the party’s poll prospects to retain power in the state.
–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.