National
Sardar Patel’s tallest statue tribute to farmers: Modi
Davanagere (Karnataka), Feb 27 (IANS) With an eye on the upcoming assembly election in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel in Gujarat will be a tribute to the sweat and toil of millions of Indian farmers.
“The Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s statue (182m high), known as the Statue of Unity, being built on the river Narmada near Vadodara in Gujarat, is double the size of Statue of Liberty (93m) in New York,” Modi said addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in this textile town, about 260km northwest of Bengaluru.
Metal pieces from farmers of six lakh villages across the country were collected and melted to make the Patel statue as the tallest in the world, Modi told thousands of farmers attending the rally.
The Prime Minister draped a green shawl, a symbol and common dress-code of the farming community in the state, during his 30-minute address.
The rally also marked the 75th birthday of the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, who is also the party’s state president and Lok Sabha member from Shivamogga, about 300 km northwest of Bengaluru.
Modi also urged the farmers across the state to donate handful of rice to Yeddyurappa, in a similar way as collection of metal pieces for the tallest statue.
“I request all farmers in the state to donate a handful of rice, to contribute to the development of a new Karnataka, to Yeddyurappa during his tour across the state in March,” he said.
The foundation for the statue was laid in 2013 by Modi, who was then Gujarat Chief Minister.
The statue is being built by Indian infrastructure company Larsen and Toubro, which won the contract for construction and management for about Rs 3,000 crore in 2014.
The Union Budget for 2014-15 announced by the Modi-led central government had allotted Rs 200 crore for the project.
–IANS
bha/nir
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.