National
CM Adityanath’s Taj visit will help in damage control, say tourism players
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra, Oct 20 (IANS) Tourism industry leaders in Agra have welcomed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s decision to visit the Taj Mahal, which is seen as a damage control exercise after a series of controversial statements by politicians on the 17th century marble wonder.
Adityanath’s visit to Agra on October 26 will help soothe frayed tempers in the city, said tourism industry players.
BJP MLA Sangeet Som had stirred controversy last week when he called the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture, while some other right-wing politicians have said the Unesco World Heritage Site visited by millions was not representative of the Indian socio-cultural ethos.
Bodies representing guides, travel agencies, hotels, have threatened agitation at the “continued downgrading” and “motivated insults” targeting Agra.
Mughal historian Prof R. Nath has in a series of letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Adityanath asked politicians not to distort history and base judgments on “gossips”. Agra Tourism Welfare Chamber president Prahlad Agarwal said “a campaign to deny Agra its rightful share and recognition as the country’s chief destination has hit the tourism sector badly”.
Talking to IANS on Friday morning, some tourism industry leaders hoped the Chief Minister’s visit would put the controversy to rest.
Rajiv Saxena, secretary of the Guides Association, said “The Chief Minister’s visit is perfectly timed.”
Senior tourism industry leader Surendra Sharma said the visit will surely help ease the charged atmosphere.
Leaders of the handicrafts industry, already under pressure of economic slowdown due to GST, have appealed to politicians not to “foul up the scene by pointless statements that have no basis in history”.
Lakhs of people are earning their livelihood from tourism, and the latest figures show that the Taj Mahal continued to remain number one in gross annual earnings, said Sandeep Arora, president of the Tourism Development Foundation.
Rajiv Tiwari, president of the Federation of Travel Associations of India, said unnecessary controversies relating to the Taj Mahal had affected sentiments and hit the tourism sector which has not been looking up for the past three years.
The questions relating to the origin of the Taj Mahal, as also the P.N. Oak theory that the monument was a Shiva temple, have been cropping up at regular intervals. “The Hindu backlash actually began after the Archaeological Survey of India failed to stall a deliberate process of communalisation of the monument by allowing people to hold prayers and organise religious activities,” senior guide Ved Gautam told IANS.
Meanwhile, authorities have drawn up plans to spruce up the area around the Taj Mahal which the Chief Minister is likely to visit. Barricading of the 10-km stretch from the Kheria airport to the Taj Mahal has begun along with extensive road repair work.
District Magistrate Gaurav Dayal said Adityanath would be reviewing some projects under the Pro-Poor Tourism scheme, and will also launch a few infrastructural projects in Agra and Mathura.
Adityanath last visited Agra on May 7, walking the dirty and controversial Taj Corridor in the afternoon sun, to discuss plans for Yamuna rejuvenation. However, nothing much followed.
(Brij Khandelwal can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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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.
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