National
Day after Shalya jibe, Sinha compares Modi-Shah with Duryodhana, Dushasana
New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to Shalya, a character from Mahabharata, to signify prevailing pessimism about economic situation, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha on Thursday struck back comparing Modi and BJP President Amit Shah duo with the eldest Kaurava brothers Duryodhana and Dushasan.
Urging the people to “stand up” to save the great tradition of parliamentary democracy, Sinha said that “darr” (fear) and democracy don’t go together.
“Mahabharata has been the flavour of the last couple of days… And characters from Mahabharta have suddenly appeared. Some people are talking about Shalya. I don’t know how much they know about Shalya.
“In Mahabharata, there are two famous characters — Duryodhana and Dushsana. The Kauravas were 100 brothers. Out of them only two became famous, Duryodhana and Dushasana,” Sinha said, leaving the audience in splits.
Sinha was invited by Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari to unveil his latest book “Tidings of Troubled Times”.
On a serious note, Sinha observed that democracy is not merely numbers.
“The soul of democracy is consensus. So even if you have the numbers, you have to reach out to other people and parties to try and get them along,” Sinha said recalling the days in Indian politics when stalwarts like Chandra Shekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (both former Prime Ministers) set high ethical standards in politics.
“Nobody talked about Mukt-this Mukt-that because we are all part of the democratic process and we know that democracy means discussion, debate and an evolution of consensus based on these discussion,” Sinha said in a clear attack on BJP’s “Congress-mukt Bharat” (congress-free India) slogan.
“And if debates and discussions don’t take place, consensus will not be there and that will kill the very fabric of democracy,” he said, stressing the need to have dissenting voices in a healthy democratic set-up.
Sinha said that the first lesson he learnt in politics from the likes of Chandra Shekhar, Vajpayee and L.K. Advani was that “whatever your political persuasions may be, don’t allow those differences to affect your personal relations”.
“So when I was approached to come to this function to release the book by Manish Tewari, I readily agreed…I know the company I will be photographed with. It sends some message. I must also say I really don’t care,” he said.
“Some people believe that at this ripe old age of 80, I am perhaps looking for a job. Now, I come from a part of the country that has produced a famous character. His name is Babu Kunwar Singh.
“Babu Kunwar Singh became a major freedom fighter in the first war of Independence of 1857. When he joined the war he was 80 years old. So there is no age bar for fighting for freedom,” Sinha said.
“Let me tell you that darr (fear) and democracy don’t go together. And we will all have to strive together. Because at the end of the day we have to maintain the greatest tradition of parliamentary democracy. Let us stand up and face it,” Sinha said.
–IANS
mak-ps/vd
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.