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Vajpayee leaves behind a foodie trail in Lucknow
By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow, Aug 17 (IANS) Former Prime Minister and five-time MP from Lucknow Atal Bihari Vajpayee leaves behind memories of the foodie in him.
“Before his health deteriorated after a paralytic stroke about a decade back, Lakhnavi food always topped his list,” recalls an old-timer of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He says not only did the three-time prime minister have a sweet tooth, he also liked ‘chatpata’ (spicy).
A close aide told IANS that Vajpayee loved ‘dudhiya barfi’ from a shop in Raja Bazaar, ‘malai paan’ from Ram Asrey and Babulal’s bada-makkhan or ‘thandai.’ At times he would pass through narrow lanes of old Lucknow for his favorite ‘gol-gappas’ and ‘chaat papdi’.
“I remember how his staff would order his favourite sweets in advance much before his arrival. Most of the times it was on personal request of Vajpayee ji,” says a staff member at the famous sweets shop Ram Asrey.
Vishal Khanna, a BJP worker of Lucknow, says there were occasions when Vajpayee would randomly walk into shops to have ‘chaat’ and have impromptu dinners for party workers. Sometimes he cooked himself.
Raj Kumar Tripathi of the famous Raja Thandai, credits much of the popularity of his shop to Vajpayee. “There would be endless ‘chakallas’ (gossip) sessions of Atal ji and his poet friends. There would also be some political chit-chat involving him and his close friends at our shop, run at that time by my father, Vinod Kumar Tripathi,” says Tripathi.
“He was a very simple man, uninhibited…he looked so much like us,” says Tripathi.
A party functionary says that despite being a diabetic, he was so fond of special milk pudding (dudhiya barfi) made at Trivedi Mishthan Bhandar in Raja Bazaar that at times it was sent by air from Lucknow to Vajpayee’s 7, Race Course Road residence in New Delhi.
Tiwari Chaat of Latoosh Road and steaming hot ‘poories’ from Bajpayi Poori Bhandar at Hazratganj were also his favourites, residents say.
Virendra Nath Chaturvedi, an octogenarian who has followed the political career of Vajpayee, says Vajpayee came across as a commoner to most people. “That made him stand apart from other politicians. Can you think of any politician today who could stop by for ‘chaat’ or sweets at a shop and have a bit,” wondered Chaturvedi, his wrinkled face hardly hiding his emotions, as he watched the last rites of the former Lucknow MP.
(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at [email protected])
–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.
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