National
Trinamool, BJP battle it out over Ram Navami celebrations in Bengal (Lead)
Kolkata, March 25 (IANS) Ram Navami was celebrated on a massive scale across West Bengal on Sunday, with the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP leaving no stone unturned in their celebrations this year.
While the Trinamool leaders termed their Ram Navami celebrations a symbol of harmony among the people, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) termed the ruling party’s participation as a “victory of the Hindus”.
Defying the Bengal government’s ban on carrying weapons in public, several armed rallies were taken out by the Sangh affiliates in various parts of the state including Birbhum, West Midnapore, Howrah and certain places here, where men, women and even minors waved saffron flags and walked with sharp weapons like swords, knives and axes while chanting the name of Lord Ram.
A number of heavyweight state BJP leaders were also seen participating in the procession with weapons. State unit President Dilip Ghosh rallied with a sword in West Midnapore while state women wing President Locket Chatterjee was seen carrying a trident. Party’s national secretary Rahul Sinha was also seen brandishing a weapon at a rally.
Police seized arms from a rally in central Kolkata’s Maniktala area where the rally organisers were seen brandishing swords.
However, none of the rallyists were detained or arrested so far in the city.
As many as six major Ram Navami rallies were taken out in the city and adjoining suburbs under strict police vigil. Several smaller rallies by the local units of rightwing organisations were also held.
In a bid to counter the BJP, the Trinamool also organised several colourful Ram Navami processions in every district where activists were seen carrying pictures of Ram and playing devotional songs.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conveyed her best wishes to the people on the occasion.
Party leaders Laxmi Ratan Sukla, Sougata Roy, state ministers Jyotipriyo Mullick and Bratya Basu led large processions in their respective constituencies and many of them condemned the armed rallies as “hooliganism in the name of religion”.
However, in a procession organised by Trinamool lawmaker Arjun Singh near Barrackpore, some rallyists were seen brandishing weapons themselves.
Claiming that Ram Navami has become a social festival in Bengal, Rahul Sinha claimed that the magnitude of the celebration marks the victory of their Hindutva agenda.
He also welcomed the rallies taken out by the Trinamool, claiming that the state ruling party had to finally bow their heads and acknowledge the importance of the Hindu population in Bengal.
“This is a big victory for the BJP and its Hindutva agenda. It is important that Trinamool Congress leaders had to bow down their heads to the Hindu population in the state. We welcome this. This is a victory for Lord Ram and Ram Navami,” Sinha, who himself participated in a rally in Hoogly district’s Chinsurah, told IANS.
He said though the BJP was not organising any rallies, all its senior state leaders are participating in the processions organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Hindu Jagran Manch.
RSS Bengal unit chief Jishnu Basu said their activists took part in large numbers in those rallies.
BJP leader Mukul Roy, who defected from the Trinamool last year, was also seen leading a rally in North 24 Parganas district’s Newtown area.
“Arms are nothing but symbols. No one carries arms in the rally to indulge in fights. I think the Trinamool government is trying to create an unnecessary controversy over the armed rallies on Ram Navami,” he said.
–IANS
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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.
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