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India calls for collective response to terrorism at SAARC
Kathmandu: India Tuesday said that terrorism is the biggest challenge the South Asian region faces and called for collective response to it. India also reiterated its “sincere and abiding commitment” towards regional peace, prosperity and development in South Asia.
India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her opening statement at the SAARC Council of Ministers Meeting here also said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to the vision of “Sabka saath, Sabka vikas” – or together with all, development for all – which is also its vision for SAARC.
Sushma Swaraj stressed the government’s three Cs of Culture, Commerce and Connectivity for deeper regional integration to push development.
She denounced a suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s Paktika province Sunday in which a bomber detonated his explosive vest in a crowd of spectators at a volleyball match, killing 45 people and injuring 50.
“This cowardly act, of killing and maiming people watching a volleyball match, has shown once again that terrorism is the biggest challenge our region faces today, and requires a collective response,” she said.
Swaraj said the government’s policy of Neighbourhood First was the reason underlying Modi’s invite to the South Asian leaders for his swearing-in May 26 and also for her travel to five of the SAARC countries in the past six months.
The two-day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit kicks off here Wednesday. It is being attended by all the heads of government, including Modi.
Elaborating on the three Cs, Swaraj said that the common cultural heritage of SAARC nations needs to be “cultivated into a global brand”.
“Culinary excellence, fashion and films, music and dance, art and crafts, literature and philosophies, need to be brought in bolder relief onto the global stage. If we were to provide a facilitating environment, there will be no stopping our young creators and innovators from conquering the world,” she said.
On the second ‘C’ of commerce, Swaraj said increased intra-SAARC trade would lead to accelerating regional economic growth.
Swaraj said the Agreement on the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) “has given some momentum to intra-SAARC trade but it still remains far below potential. India has already taken several measures to boost intra-regional trade, including providing duty-free access to goods from SAARC least developed countries”.
On connectivity, she said the maritime and waterways, land and air connectivity “is still tenuous and under-developed. We must focus on building infrastructure which transcends our boundaries”.
“Enhancing connectivity would not only increase productivity, bring down costs, raise our economic growth and accelerate our common development but also help us remove the endemic poverty in the region,” she said.
The minister said South Asia is home to enormous wealth of human and natural resources but it was still lying largely untapped.
“We need no other agency but the collective will in SAARC to tap this creative energy and channel it to improve the lives of all our peoples.”
“It is time for us now, in the 30th year of SAARC, to find the necessary political will to exploit these instrumentalities, to implement projects and programmes, to develop policies and plans, to share information and knowledge, and to build pan-SAARC projects which can realise what our predecessors aspired for,” she said.
She said India “would like to contribute, whatever we can, for expediting the process of intra-regional cooperation and share our technical, scientific and human resources capacity with our SAARC neighbours in order to make our region safer, stronger and better”.
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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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