National
Tharoor takes centre stage at Mathrubhumi literary festival
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 3 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stole the show on the second day of the three day Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters being held here as he took the centre stage to explain what prompted him to pen his latest book “Why I am a Hindu”.
Explaining this at a session with journalist and author Mihir Bose, Tharoor said penning the book resonated from his upbringing and the fact that Hinduism “has now been reduced to a contemporary political distortion”.
“It has now been distorted to a faith of delirious fanaticism. The time has come to say to the public that what you portray is not Hinduism but pseudo-‘sick’ularism, which is the famous term of abuse by trollers,” he told the packed audience.
He added that his book is not on Hindutva but on Hinduism.
“It is saying that Hindutva is not Hinduism which is a religion of acceptance, a religion of ahimsa and satya,” he added.
Another interesting session of the day was a panel discussion moderated by acclaimed writer Anita Nair where Centre for Elephant Studies Director T.S. Rajeev and wildlife photographer and nature conservation activist N.A. Naseer shared their experiences.
The session “Malayaliyude Aana – kodum sneham, kodum droham (Elephants of Malayalees – extreme love and extreme atrocity)” covered several aspects of the Malayalees’ love for the elephant, which according to the panellists, was now an obsession with little regard for the welfare of the animal.
Rajeev explained the physical and behavioural peculiarities of the elephant that made the animal a misfit for the role imposed on it by Malayalees – that of leading processions at temple festivals.
“Elephants have a lower body temperature than human beings, so the animals should not be exposed to extreme hot weather. But temple festivals are held at the hottest time of the year,” he said.
Nair recalled the pride with which “temple committee members showed off the number of elephants arranged for the festival” at her hometown in Kerala while no one spared a second thought about the inconvenience caused to the animals in the process.
Her latest book “Kaakae, Kaakae koodu evide” was also released.
Naseer, who shot to fame 25 years ago with this disturbing photograph of an injured elephant being used in a temple procession, said he was at the event hoping to bring awareness to the issue.
The three day event, which ends on Sunday, has seen William Dalrymple, Ukrainian novelists Oksana Zabuzho and Andrei Kurkov, Ghanian Ayesha Harruna Attah, Malaysian novelist, poet and educator, Bernice Chauly and around 100 writers from 10 countries taking part.
–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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