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Rise above difference to bring about change, urges Aamir
Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan hopes that people unify, irrespective of their socio-political and economic differences, for the pursuit of bringing about positive change.
Aamir, who through his NGO Paani Foundation, is working towards making Maharashtra a drought-free state, believes the process is, in a way, a celebration of humanity.
About the problem that the NGO faced in reaching out to villagers, Aamir, addressing media here on Saturday, said: “Well, we were aware of the fact that there is a certain problem will come on our way, so we designed the whole programme in a way to deal with those obstacles. One of the biggest challenges is bringing people together for the cause.
“Look, our society is cracked on many levels. There are different political parties in every village, the caste system is very strong in villages. There are landowners, labourers from the different economic background. Convincing everyone that how water-shade management is actually going to help all of them was a task. But the best thing is, the villagers helped each other to overcome these issues.”
“Since they came together to build up the watershed management system, there is a human bonding the developed among each other. It’s a very different level of emotional binding. And tomorrow, if there is any problem, they are well trained enough to handle that,” he added.
Giving a conceptual example, Aamir said: “You see, water can only be stored in a pot which has no holes in it, right? Until people in a society coming close together like a pot, the water will not be stored. If there is any crack in the society, the idea will slip through, like water will slip from a cracked pot. We are trying to bring people closer together in the same manner.”
Starting out with three talukas, now Paani foundation has extended their working areas to 75 talukas and according to Aamir, women are playing a very active role in executing the work.
Citing one such example, he said: “Women are very actively participating in ‘Shramdaan’ (labour donation). In the beginning, the men of the villages were quite lazy and disinterested to participate in the activity. So a group of women, after doing their day-long shramdaan, did not go back to home, instead, they spent the whole night at the temple.
“They told their husbands, that unless they take part in the activity, they will not go back home. To our surprise, within 24 hours, all the men of those houses agreed to participate in shramdaan. I think it is also in a way taking a step towards addressing social issues.”
As the foundation is organizing a ‘Mahashramdaan’, where citizens, both urban and rural, will meet and work together for water abundance, Aamir urged everyone to participate.
People can participate by registering online from the Paani Foundation website and travel to the villages to donate their labour of three hours on May 1.
Asked about if his children also have the same interest in the cause like their father, Aamir said: “Yes, Junaid is actively working with us, he goes to Paani Foundation office every day. Ira is not here, she is studying abroad.”
Asked if he also was socially active as a youngster, he said he was.
“As a youngster, I was quite socially aware of everything happening around me. I used to take part in the social cause,” he replied.
–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.