National
Past cultural links foundation of future artistic excellence: President
Bhubaneswar: Classical arts are not only links with the past, but the foundation for current cultural thought and future artistic excellence, President Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday.
“Performing arts like dance, drama, music, which have been an integral part of our Indian identity and culture, need to be patronised for achieving greater cultural synthesis,” the president said at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya here.
He said new communication technology has been introduced to popularise classical music and dance forms across India.
“By the turn of the 20th century, classical music and dance in India witnessed a host of changes and re-inventions. The introduction of gramophone, radio and later on, cinema, served to popularise these classical music and dance forms across India,” he said.
The president said that since India was one of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations in the world, it was natural that performing arts have been an integral part of Indian identity and culture.
“Traditionally, these arts found patronage and flourished under enlightened rulers, who themselves, at times, were great exponents of music and dance. This system of royal patronage, however, broke down during the colonial period,” he said.
Mukherjee said state funding of the performing arts was instituted by the government post independence for setting up national academies for documenting and disseminating the knowledge of such art forms.
“The setting up these institutions is a continuation of these tradition wherein the state funds and promotes various forms and aspects of Indian art, music, dance, drama and culture-inherent in this is the realisation that our classical arts are our links with the past and, thus, both the foundation for our current thought and the platform of our future action,” he said.
On the Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, he said the institution has been living up to its vision of popularisation and dissemination of Odisha’s art and culture.
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.