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China set to give Xi lifelong rule on Sunday
By Gaurav Sharma
Beijing, March 10 (IANS) China is set to scrap the two-term limit for the presidency and vice-presidency on Sunday, giving Xi Jinping the licence to rule the country for life.
With China’s largely ceremonial parliament stamping the proposal by the Communist Party, the Middle Kingdom could well be headed for a one-man rule.
Fearing the repeat of excesses of power if anyone again was allowed to rule China indefinitely like Mao Zedong, country’s revered leader Deng Xiaoping slashed the term limit for President and vice-president to two — 10 years.
It is the same restriction, which nearly 3,000 lawmakers — called deputies of the National People’s Congress — will lift when they vote on Sunday to amend the country’s Constitution in a highly choreographed fashion.
Never has China’s parliament said no to a diktat by the Communist Party, the country’s real boss. The Party is above all.
But it would be interesting to see how many vote against the proposed amendment.
Xi, who came to power in 2013, has emerged as the most powerful leader in China after Mao. He is the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission — the top nodal body of the Chinese army.
Although the post of General Secretary is more powerful than that of the President in China, the latter is used to deal with the outside world.
Mao set up the President’s office in 1954 and quit the post after five years, giving it to Liu Shaoqi, handpicked by him. Liu was a puppet President and fell out of favour during Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
Mao did away with the President’s post in 1975 only to for it be revived by Deng in 1982 with a two-term cap after his death.
With the term-limit gone, Xi, who already has a larger than life image in China, can rule the country of 1.4 billion until he retires, dies or is toppled.
There seems no one who could challenge the towering Xi as the potential successors are behind bars apparently on graft charges.
There is no room for dissent in Xi’s era, with a heavy censor on the media and civil society.
Xi had made his intention to stay in power beyond 2023 sort of known when he did not name his successor at the party’s key once-in-five-years meet last October.
His predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, had conventionally announced their successors.
Xi’s move was widely speculated as his desire to cling on to power beyond 10 years, but little was anticipated of the proposal in this regard that came like a bolt from the blue in February 2018.
This has even startled the global community.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.