National
India, China hold border talks, explore confidence-building measures
New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) India and China on Thursday held their 11th round of talks on border afairs during he course of which they explored various confidence building measures.
Stating that the discussions were held in “a friendly and cordial atmosphere”, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that both sides exchanged views on ways to improve border management.
“We underlined that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas is an important pre-requisite for further development of bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Various confidence building measures aimed at further enhancing the level of mutual trust and understanding between border personnel were discussed,” it said.
“Both sides also agreed to explore the possibility of strengthening cooperation through exchange of visits and institutionalised dialogue mechanisms in order to promote better understanding and cooperation between the two defence forces,” it added.
The 11th round of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) for India-China border affairs was led by Pranay Verma, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the External Affairs Ministry, from the Indian side and Yi Xianliang, Director General, Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs from the Chinese side.
Thursday’s talks come in the wake of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also being made the State Councillor which effectively makes him the country’s key negotiator with India on the vexed border issue.
China and India share a 3,448-km disputed border over which the countries fought a war in 1962. The armies of both sides continue to cross into each other’s territories due to the different perceptions of the boundary.
Wang repeatedly slammed India during the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction last year. The crisis, which further soured the already tense ties, was resolved in August.
He however, struck a positive tone about Sino-Indian ties while addressing the media on the sidelines of China’s annual parliament session earlier this month.
Wang said if China and India were united then one plus one will be equivalent to 11, a remark welcomed by India and answered in the similar tone.
The last round of the WMCC was held in Beijing in November 2017.
The WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the India-China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between their border security personnel.
–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.