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Obama works the crowd, pumps flesh American-style
New Delhi: That US President Barack Obama knows how to work the crowds was evident from his address at the Siri Fort Auditorium where he had a predominantly young crowd screaming out his name, repeatedly applauding him and vying with one another to clasp his hands as well as that of his wife Michelle when both of them came down to interact with the audience.
The hour-long, townhall-meeting style event, was punctuated by repeated applause – almost every few minutes – as Obama spoke about the dreams and opportunities for the young, the diversity of both the US and India and the time for the US and India not just to be “natural partners” but “India’s best partner” on a range of issues from education to environment, fron infrastructure to counter-terrorism.
Right fromt the beginning, when Neha Buch, a young representative of Indian NGO Prabha, introduced Obama to the audience as a man who is known for his empathy with common people, Obama was at his best as he connected with the crowd at the over 1,900-capacity tiered hall, talking about a greater role for India in the Asia-Pacific region, and immediately with the audience by talking about his own humble roots which he said were in many ways similar to the roots of the Indian prime minister.
“If the grandson of a cook can become president, and the tea seller can become the prime minister, so can young people from the humblest of origins dare to dream big and realise their aspirations,” he said to loud cheers and applause.
He also talked about the importance of women in society and said a “nation is successful when its women are successful”, a remark which again drew strong applause as he talked about how impressed he was with the “incredible women in (India’s) armed forces” that he witnessed at the Republic Day parade Monday and also mentioned about the women officer – Wing Commander Pooja Thakur of the Indian Air Force – who led the guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan at his official welcoming ceremony Jan 25.
After the address, the Obama walked the stage to loud applause, came down and then went around meeting the audience in the first row with excited youngsters particularly jostling to reach out to their hands, as they happily pumped flesh for nearly 10 minutes, and taking their pictures on their mobile phones.
As the Obamas went around, the sound system erupted with popular song from the hit Aamir Khan starrer “Lagaan” – O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Dharatee apanee hai, apana ambar hai re, tu aaja re – which extols the virtues of friendship and partriotism, making it a day that many in the audience would remember.
As a young woman was overhead remarking excitedly later on, “If Obama would stand for an election in Delhi, I would definitely vote for him.”
A US journalist, who was part of the White House press corps travelling with the president, said: “Looks like he is a highly popular man here!”
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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.
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