National
Modi to address mega show of anxious BJP workers
Ahmedabad, Oct 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seen as the last big hope for an embattled BJP in the Gujarat Assembly elections where the party faces the electorate for the first time without him as the Chief Minister, is expected to address a massive gathering of party workers and announce a litany of new projects on Monday.
In what has been named the Gujarat Gaurav Mahasammelan, the BJP expects to see as many as seven lakh party workers, appointed as “page presidents” (in charge of each page on the electoral roll) on a five square kilometer land in Bhat village on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar highway.
It is likely to be last event before the Election Commission announces dates for the Gujarat polls — expected to be held in December.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has ruled Gujarat since 1995 barring a gap of just over a year in 1997 when rebel leader Shankersinh Vaghela formed a regional party government with Congress support, faces a tough battle this time with an apparently renewed opposition putting up a semblance of an equal fight first time in 22 years.
Modi ruled Gujarat from October 7, 2001 to May 2014 when he became the Prime Minister. Now the BJP goes to the polls in the state for the first time without him as the Chief Minister in a palpably anti-incumbency atmosphere.
Monday’s event marks the conclusion of the ruling BJP’s Gujarat Gaurav Yatra, which began in two parts on October 1 kicked off from Karamsad, the birthplace of Sardar Patel in Anand on October 1, and the second on October 2 from Porbander, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.
The first covered 1,361 km and 76 assembly constituencies in Central and North Gujarat regions and the second travelled 2,395 km covering 73 assembly seats in Saurashtra and South Gujarat.
This is the Prime Minister’s fourth visit to Gujarat in a month and the eighth this year, during which he made a slew of announcements and attended a series of foundation-stone laying ceremonies of ambitious projects.
According to BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya, he will come again on October 23 to inaugurate the Ghogha-Dahej Ro-Ro Ferry Service from Bhavnagar.
In all, Modi has come calling to his home state 18 times for official visits since he assumed charge in the national capital.
On his last visit on October 7 and October 8, he came with a bouquet of schemes worth Rs 12,000 crore, including foundation laying of a greenfield Rajkot Airport, Okha-Bet Dwarka cable bridge and Bhadbhut Narmada barrage.
Modi also visited his native place Vadnagar on October 8 for the first time after becoming the Prime Minister.
He was twice in Gujarat last month, first on September 13 and 14 to lay the foundation stone of the bullet train with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then on September 17, his birthday, to dedicate to the nation the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project at its full height of 138 metres attained two years ago after the Narmada Control Authority cleared it in June 2014.
–IANS
desai/mr
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.