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Akshay, Shabana emphasize on educating both men, women on menstrual hygiene

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New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Bollywood’s own “Pad Man” Akshay Kumar and actor-activist Shabana Azmi, who were part of inaugural Menstrual Awareness Conclave here, say that it is important to not only educate women about the menstrual hygiene but also to involve men too to initiate more dialogues about periods.

“The glass is half full and half empty. Certainly from 1990s to the Niine Movement, the very idea that men can talk about having set of sanitary napkins along with Rakhi is revolutionary. I got to know that 70 percent of rural women suffer from infection as they use cloth and recycle it. They would wash it but would not hang it out in sun to dry because it’s a matter of shame.

“So they would dry under the mattresses of the cot. This would lead to inevitable diseases. Even in 21st century, Indian women didn’t have a patch of sunlight for themselves. That hit me so hard.

“Akshay Kumar and his producer wife Twinkle Khanna had the courage to make the film on menstrual hygiene and that was an important win. It is not possible that we take this initiative forward unless we involve men,” said Shabana.

The actress was the part of a panel titled ‘Loss Fertility in Females’ at Niine Movement’s “Menstrual Awareness Conclave” to mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day on Monday.

The Niine movement, an ambitious five-year plan aimed at raising awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene and tackling the taboos associated with menstruation, has been officially launched at the inaugural conclave to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Shabana was joined by Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi, WaterAid India’s Director Programme and Policy Avinash Kumar, UN India MCO Deputy Representative Nishtha Satyam and Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India President Jaideep Malhotra on the panel.

Akshay , who was the chief guest at the event, felicitated nine people who were doing their bit to create awareness about menstruation hygiene in different parts of India.

He also explained the thought that provoked him to make “Pad Man”

“This phrase is for every men as after hearing this phrase, I made ‘Pad Man’. I read somewhere that ‘Never mess with someone who bleeds five days a month but does not die and that’s the power of a woman’,” he said.

“Pad Man”, directed and written by R. Balki, was based on the short story “The Sanitary Man of Sacred Land” in Twinkle’s book “The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad”, which is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who introduced low-cost sanitary pads.

–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

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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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