National
In blow to Congress, eight Meghalaya legislators quit
Shillong, Dec 29 (IANS) In a setback to the Congress in Meghalaya ahead of assembly elections, eight MLAs including five from Congress, on Friday resigned from the assembly to contest the polls on the ticket of National People’s Party (NPP), which is part of NDA.
The Congress legislators, who include former Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh, former cabinet ministers Prestone Tynsong, Coming One Ymbon, Sniawbhalang Dhar and Ngaitlang Dhar submitted their resignation letters to Assembly Commissioner and Secretary, Andrew Simon.
Apart from the five Congress legislators, the other three are United Democratic Party legislator Remington Pyngrope, and Independents, Hopeful Bamon and Stephanson Mukhim.
The resignations come after Congress legislator P.N. Syiem, who is also the Chief Executive Member of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, resigned as member of the assembly and joined the newly-floated People’s Democratic Front.
Moreover, veteran Congress legislators — state Congress president and four-times Chief Minister D.D. Lapang, incumbent Deputy Chief Prof. Roytre Christopher Laloo, besides Health and Family Welfare Minister Roshan Warjri — have been declared “retired” from electoral politics.
“We (Congress legislators) have put in our papers since the leadership (Chief Minister Mukul Sangma) in the state has failed to meet the aspirations of the people, besides the style of functioning of the Chief Minister,” Tynsong said.
Accusing Chief Minister Sangma of practising “one-upmanship”, Tynsong however said, “despite his negativity, there is also a positive side too. Mukul (Sangma) is a good leader. He is courageous, whatever he says we had to do it.”
NPP national President Conrad K. Sangma said all the eight legislators would formally join the NPP on January 4 at a public rally in Polo grounds here.
“Their decision to join NPP is a shot in the arm for us. It is also an indication that people of the state want a new party to lead the state,” Sangma, who is also the lone Lok Sabha member from the state, told IANS.
The (National People’s Party) NPP, an ally of the BJP-led NDA central government, has two members in the Meghalaya assembly. It was founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker (late) Purno Agitok Sangma.
Veteran Congress leader and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had earlier said that in constituencies represented by rebel Congress MLAs, there is tremendous pressure to put up candidates.
“The good thing is that we are getting promising leaders who are showing keen interest to join the Congress and offer themselves for the people as potential candidates. This is setting a new benchmark,” the Chief Minister added.
The Congress has been reduced to 24 from 30 members in the truncated 51-member assembly following the resignations.
However, Mukul Sangma is expected to complete his five-year term as Chief Minister with the support of two Nationalist Congress Party legislators, one member from the North-East Democratic Socialist Party and seven independent legislators supporting the Congress-led government.
The opposition Meghalaya People’s Front is made up of seven United Democratic Party legislators, two from the National People’s Party. The Hill State People’s Democratic Party, which has four members and four independents, is not part of the opposition grouping.
The ninth Meghalaya assembly, comprising 60 members, was constituted on March 1, 2013, and its term expires on March 6 next year.
–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.