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Sushma Swaraj cheered as she speaks in Hindi at General Assembly (With Images)
By Arul Louis
United Nations, Sep 23 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was cheered from the floor and the Indian guests in the visitors gallery as she strode wearing her trademark saffron saree on to the stage with a gilded background in the wood-panelled General Assembly building.
As she spoke in Hindi, with simultaneous translations in five languages, from the dark stone podium embossed with the UN logo, she received applause when she talked of fighting terrorism.
There was some laughter when she derisively said that the world reacted with, “Look who is talking!” when Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abassi accused India of state-sponsored terrorism.
She started her speech with a report card on India’s achievements in development, before segueing to Pakistan and terror, raising her voice in indignation.
Sushma Swaraj then switched to an almost pleading tone calling for action on climate change.
And then she laid out India’s case and UN reforms in a firm voice.
Her speech coming on the fifth day of the high-level session and on a Saturday was sparsely attended on the floor of the chamber, but almost everyone of the 193 members of the UN had at least one delegate present, some of them coming in just for her speech, which followed that of Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Walid Al Moualem.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba spoke earlier in the session.
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar listened from the Indian position in the Assembly chamber.
Sushma Swaraj ended her speech with a Sanskrit shloka:
“May all be happy; May all be healthy; May all see what is good; May all be free from suffering.”
–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.