National
Modi betrayed ‘nation builders’ by sitting on Women’s Reservation Bill: Virbhadra
Shimla, Nov 5 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not moving the stalled Women’s Reservation Bill, accusing him of betraying the “nation builders”.
“Once hailed as ‘nation builders’ by PM Modi, the already marginalised Indian women have been most brutally betrayed by the BJP government,” the Chief Minister said attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central government in a series of tweets.
“Deference of the Women’s Reservation Bill is BJP has gone back on its primary manifesto promise for women. And it was only the beginning,” he said.
On September 21, Congress President Sonia Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to urgently pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha where the BJP has a majority.
In a letter to Modi, Sonia Gandhi said: “You may recall that the Rajya Sabha had passed the Women’s Reservation Bill on March 9, 2010. Since then, however, it has languished in the Lok Sabha for one reason or another.”
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister also referred to the Panchayati Raj Bills passed in Haryana and Rajasthan in 2015, fixing educational and other qualifications for the candidates contesting Panchayati elections.
“Then came along arbitrary conditions on educational qualifications for contesting panchayat elections in Rajasthan and Haryana. Anti-constitutional!”
According to the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (amendment) Bill, 2015, a candidate should be Class 8 pass for the post of Sarpanch — except in tribal reserved areas, where the minimum qualification is Class 5 — and Class 10 for Zila Parishad or Panchayat Samiti elections.
While in Haryana, matriculation is essential qualification for general candidates contesting the Panchayat elections while the qualification for the women (general) and Scheduled Caste candidate will be middle standard (Class 8).
Virbhadran Singh flaunted Himachal’s women literacy rate, claiming ut was higher than the national average.
“Meanwhile in Himachal Pradesh, female literacy of 75.9 per cent exceeded national average. Sixty-four per cent women constituted workforce, highest in India. True empowerment!” the Chief Minister added.
Votes for 68-seat assembly in Himachal Pradesh will be cast on November 9 and the counting will take place on December 18.
–IANS
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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.