National
Greater enthusiasm for India ties after Modi government: Nirupama Rao
New Delhi: US President Barack Obama’s visit to India “takes the road ahead to a full-blown India-US partnership”, according to former Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao who said there was greater enthusiasm for India in the US after Narendra Modi came to power.
Speaking at the Third India Today Global Roundtable here Friday, Rao said there was palpable change in the way the Americans view India since the past few years.
Rao, addressing a session on “Bridging the Distance between India and the US”, said Obama’s visit was an important occasion for one billion Indians.
She said the three-million-strong Indian diaspora was a major factor in the relationship.
Terming the current relationship transformational, Rao said factors like promoting clean energy, building skills of youth, FDI in retail, strengthening defence cooperation through technology transfers and resolving the civilian nuclear energy deal, will govern the relations between the two democracies.
Rao also stressed the fact that India needs to be far more assertive in relations with the US concerning the terror emanating from Pakistan.
She said the vision that defines this complex relationship was the mutual understanding of threats, the common interest in keeping maritime interests free, keeping capitalism and trade on track as well as a common thought on counter-terrorism.
On the India-China relationship through a US prism, Rao said when the US talks about rebalancing Asia, both India and China were central to that view.
She said neither India nor the US seek an inclusion or isolation of China.
“Both of us seek a mutually-beneficial relationship with China,” Rao said.
Former diplomat Hardeep Puri said movement on the India-US civil nuclear deal has been slow and that it was a superficial view to say that there has been no movement at all.
Addressing a session titled “Indo-US nuclear deal – Dead on arrival or waiting to Exhale?”, Puri who has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, said he was cautiously optimistic on the deal working out.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury said his party had objections at the way the US was denying India complete flow of technology despite signing the deal in 2004.
He said the US was continuing to ban the transfer of high-end technology to India.
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.