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Nagaland BJP immerses Vajpayee’s ashes secretly
Guwahati, Aug 27 (IANS) After protests by the churches and different tribal bodies, the Nagaland unit of the BJP on Monday restricted the programme to immerse the ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to a secret one in the Christian-dominated state.
Protests poured in from different church bodies and tribal Hohos (apex bodies) after the saffron party unit announced that it would immerse the ashes of the former Prime Minister in Doyang river at Wokha through massive programme.
While the Nagaland unit of the BJP justified the immersion programme not as a religious issue but a national one considering the popularity of the leader, the opposition parties and tribal bodies slammed the move on the ground that immersion of ashes was neither a part of Naga culture nor a religious belief in Naga society.
The Congress in Nagaland also slammed the move to immerse the ashes of Vajpayee as a gimmick to gain political mileage.
Nagaland BJP president Temjen Imna Along Longkumer, however, immersed the ashes of the veteran leader at a small river in Dimapur secretly, instead of immersing those in Doyang river in Wokha as announced and said that the ritual was completed as planned.
“People are making a issue out of nothing. It is not a religious issue but a national issue as Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a icon. As Christians also we all prayed. However, the priests did what they had to do and we took part as we thought it to be right,” Longkumer said after completion of the ritual on Monday.
Earlier, the Lotha Hoho, the apex body of Lotha tribe opposed the move and said that immersion of the ashes was neither a cultural practice nor a religious belief in Nagaland and opined that the distinct culture of the Nagas should not be diluted.
“The church along with the rest of the country also mourned the death of the former prime minister. However in a Christian-dominated state, if the state BJP president was eager to lower the dignity of his professed faith in undertaking a ritual of another religion, all because of being a BJP, then it would be a very unwise and unwarranted move,” said general secretary of the Nagland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho.
–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.