National
B-Town condemns FTII student arrests
Mumbai: Hindi film celebrities including Shekhar Kapur, Resul Pookutty, Anand Gandhi, Hansal Mehta, Nikhil Advani and Anubhav Sinha on Wednesday condemned the arrest of protesting FTII students, and said the government should “respond with solutions not muscle”.
They said the arrests in Pune in a post-midnight swoop following a complaint by the film institute’s director was a shame, “absolutely condemnable” and sad.
Students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have been protesting for over two months against the appointment of BJP member and TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as the facility’s chairman.
The midnight arrests, on charges of rioting and more, came after some students confined FTII director Prashant Pathrabe and other staffers in his office for eight hours and vandalised office furniture and fittings on Monday.
Opposing the decision to arrest the students, the celebrities took to Twitter, where the issue was trending under the #FTII hashtag.
Here’s what they tweeted:
Hansal Mehta: Dear government, respond with solutions not muscle.
Shekhar Kapur: There was a time FTII was considered one of the best film schools in Asia and produced some brilliant talent. What happened?
Vivek Agnihotri: FTII is a complex issue. But politicians riding on it makes it more complex. Fair people must condemn it.
Swara Bhaskar: Is this right??? What is wrong with our state??? Shame!!!
Anubhav Sinha: ABSOLUTELY CONDEMNABLE!!! You can’t ARREST dissenting students…. A Government that can’t talk through a matter with 500 students (or less???) will resolve border crisis and such???
Resul Pookutty: A senior official from I&B ministry talked to me at length at 8 p.m. about how to solve the impasse and he said they are coming to FTII in a couple of days. Then why this arrest in the middle of the night? That too including girls?!
Nikhil Advani: FTII students mid-night arrest. SAD!!!
Vishal Dadlani: Never seen a government fall so low, so quick. Family-packs of lies being sold as achievements, while freedom is crushed daily. JaiHind
Anand Gandhi: Here’s another course of action: Hear the students + experts out, accept mistake, revise appointment, kindly take leave.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.