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First after Doklam, Chinese soldiers in India to boost military ties
New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) In a first such visit after the Doklam stand-off last year, a high-level Chinese army delegation is in India on a five-day visit to boost ties between the militaries of the two countries that remain pitted against each other on disputed border areas.
The 10-member team of the People’s Liberation Army, led by its senior commander Lt. General Liu Xiaowu, the Deputy Chief of its Western Theatre Command, reached here on Monday and met Indian Army Vice Chief Lt. General Devraj Anbu in New Delhi.
The Chinese soldiers on Tuesday left for the 33 Corps Headquarters at Sukna in West Bengal and Eastern Army Command at Kolkata for delegation level talks with their counterparts, an army spokesperson said in a statement. The Indian delegation at Sukna headquarters will be led by Lt. Gen Pradeep M. Bali, GOC Trishakti Corps.
“This visit is seen as a major initiative to strengthen relationship between the militaries of both nations.”
It comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for an informal summit at Wuhan on April 27-28.
The spokesperson said the visit of the 10 senior Chinese military officials was “in consonance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during Wuhan summit where both leaders reaffirmed the need to strengthen bilateral ties”.
The two, the spokesperson said, had endorsed the need to resume military ties during the meeting.
“This visit by the military delegation to local military headquarters is a significant step forward towards increasing interactions at military commanders’ level and implementation of various agreements to maintain peace and tranquility on the borders.”
The visit assumes significance as the 33 Corps guards Doklam area at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction, where the two countries were involved in a 73-day military standoff last year.
The stand off had erupted after Indian troops halted road construction at Doka La, citing Bhutan’s claim to the area.
The Chinese Army delegation also visited Agra before leaving for Sukna. Besides delegation-level talks, the two sides will interact at various levels for better understanding of each other and exchange of ideas.
The People’s Liberation Army delegation will depart for Kolkata on July 5.
India and China have long-pending border disputes even as the two sides after the Wuhan meeting reaffirmed their commitment to fully operationalize the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) they signed in October 2013.
The two neighbours share over 4,000-km long boundary stretching from Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. There are 23 areas of dispute along the de facto border also known as Line of Actual Control.
–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.