National
Parrikar slams Goa church-backed report
Panaji, Aug 28 (IANS) Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who won the Panaji assembly by-poll on Monday, said a church-backed fact finding report into serial desecrations in Goa was part of a conspiracy against him ahead of the August 23 by-elections.
He made the remarks while addressing a press conference here after his win against his main rival Girish Chodankar of the Congress by a margin of 4,803 votes.
Parrikar said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) legislative tally was now at 14 and with the support of nine MLAs the coalition government with the backing of 23 MLAs now, has a “comfortable majority” in a 40-member state legislative assembly, he said.
“All methods were tried, legal, media, social media and bad publicity. Even to the extent that two days before the elections, some organisation released a false fact-finding report. I am calling it false, because you will realise in the coming days, because government goes by the police investigation…” Parrikar said, without naming the Council for Social Justice and Peace, a Church-backed social organisation which had released the report to the media.
“People of Goa are harmonious. During Ganesh Chaturthi, all Catholics and Muslims visit us and we also visit them during Christmas. I condemn the fact that it was for the first time, that our opponents tried to create differences.
“But the people of Goa taught them a lesson… Such forces will try to divide people. We will have to be alert,” he added.
The report, which was co-authored by the Mumbai-based Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, had demanded a court-monitored probe into the series of desecrations of Catholic and Hindu icons in Goa and accused the state police as well as the administration of trying to cover-up the investigation.
The report was slammed by the BJP and Parrikar.
–IANS
maya/ksk/bg
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.