National
Demonetisation, GST broke textile hub Surat’s legs, says Rahul Gandhi
Gandhinagar, Nov 8 (IANS) Hitting out at the Narendra Modi government, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said demonetization and the GST rollout have “broken the legs” of Surat, as he observed a “black day” in the textile and diamond hub of the country.
The Gandhi scion had an interaction with industry representatives and workers at Nirman Industries’ loom factory in Katargam industrial development area after he arrived in Surat city.
This is the third phase of his visit to the state which will go for assembly elections on December 9 and 14. Gandhi will be in the state for three days.
“There was an attack on India’s economy one year back,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“During the interaction with Surat’s people I was told that demonetisation and then GST have broken Surat’s legs. The industry was finished by the twin blows not only here, but in the entire country,” Gandhi said.
“The people said that they are being threatened. But truth cannot be suppressed, it will come out,” the Congress leader told the media.
“This is the place which can compete with China. Jobs will either come to India or China. But instead of helping them, the government has destroyed people’s strength.”
Hitting out at the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout by the NDA government on July 1 this year, Gandhi said, “We had requested Narendra Modiji and Arun Jaitleyji not to implement the GST in the way they wanted to.”
“This is not a political thing, this is not between the Congress and the BJP. This is about India’s competitiveness, we have to compete with China. You please do not kill our industries and businesses. But they said that we are going to implement it at 12 midnight,” he said.
“The media was asking us, why we are not allowing GST to be implemented — because we wanted to save Surat and the country,” he said.
“GST means one nation, one tax. But this GST by Modiji, which has five layers will not work. We had said that maximum cap on taxes should be 18 per cent but they did not heed us,” the Congress leader said.
The Gandhi scion is also likely to participate in a candle-light vigil to mark the “black day” near Vivekananda statue in Chowk Bazar area of Surat.
–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.