National
From immigration, pluralism to trade, Trudeau touches all on Gujarat visit
Ahmedabad, Feb 19 (IANS) Dressed in traditional Indian attire, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife and three children landed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homestate Gujarat on Monday.
The visiting Prime Minister and his family, here on a day-long visit, were received at the Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport here by Gujarat Minister Ganpat Vasava and State Chief Secretary.
The first engagement of the Trudeau family, dressed in shades of festive yellow and red, was a visit to the Sabarmati Ashram. After paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the Canadian Prime Minister tried his hand at the spinning wheel.
Trudeau appeared at ease as though on a family tour instead of an official visit and sported an attractive red bandhgala kurta accompanied by a cream-coloured churidar and even a matching stole.
Similarly, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau was in a bright yellow long kurta which she teamed with white palazzo pants. She wore drop-down earrings, gold bangles and a little bindi to give her a completely traditional Indian look.
Writing in the visitor’s book at the Sabarmati Asrham, Trudeau said: “A beautiful place of peace, humanity and truth that is as needed today as ever.”
He then proceeded to the Akshardham Temple in state capital Gandhinagar and spent about 40 minutes there.
His last destination was the premier B-school Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, for a townhall where he had a lively session with the students, taking questions and replying in great detail.
Trudeau said Canada was open to immigration and trade.
On trade front, the Prime Minister said that current bilateral trade of $8 billion in goods and $2 billion in services had a potential to grow.
“When you think of natural connections between India and Canada, especially in field of agriculture or pulses, where we have slight challenges. We are discussing potential of growth in pulses.”
Referring to the issue of immigration, especially in context of most of the countries globally looking inwards and raising barriers, Trudeau said that he and Canada firmly believed that the new reality for 21st century is going to be heterogeneous societies.
“India has done fairly well and Canada too has done fairly well to see that differences can become source of strength and not weakness… As you get more pluralistic, language, religion, ethnicity, ideology should be anchored in shared values that society subscribes to.”
Trudeau went on to say that dividing society on the basis of ethnicity and religious lines was a “tribal” approach to civilisation that has over thousands of years ripped apart these beliefs.
“There are two paths – you can either amplify the anxiety in the world by blaming a particular ethnic or religious group for all the troubles in the society or you can take a more successful pluralistic approach, when you actually meet people with different story and believe that we meet them and grow.”
The Canadian Prime Minister also had a word for the media, which he called “frustrating” at times but in the same breath said that it was important to support it as it tells the governments where it is wrong. “Independent media is essential for a successful democracy.”
Trudeau again summoned the name of Mahatma Gandhi to be his inspiration. “He should be an inspiration to all. Idea of extraordinary strength in compassion, peace and non-violence…
“It takes tremendous amount of strength to be strong, without having to be aggressive, without having to pick fights, instead looking to better understand each other, to better question yourself.”
–IANS
desai/him/vd
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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