National
Tibetans ‘don’t want to discomfort India’, cancel mega event
Dharamsala, March 28 (IANS) Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay on Wednesday said his government-in-exile “doesn’t want to cause inconvenience to host India”.
Speaking on cancelling of events planned by his administration earlier in New Delhi to mark the beginning of the 60th year of the Dalai Lama stepping on India soil, he told reporters here: “Whatever we do, we don’t want to cause inconvenience to our hosts or to the persons who want to meet us.”
“They may have particular reasons as to why these coming months are sensitive. So, we completely understand and respect that. There is no disappointment at all but rather an understanding of the situation,” he said.
Sangay was responding to a media query regarding a circular issued by the Indian government relating to the “Thank You India” events starting on March 31.
Without mincing words, he said the government and people of India have done the most for Tibet.
“Every year, in all the formal and non-formal events, we Tibetans always say thank you India. I think it’s important that we also demonstrate our gratitude in deeds.”
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama calls himself a ‘son of India’. So, we should be saying thank you a lot. Moreover, our relationship with India is like parent and children. Therefore, we want to thank India,” he said.
Amidst the recent tensions with China, the Indian government was reported to have cautioned its senior officials last month to stay away from events aimed at marking the start of the Dalai Lama’s 60th year of exile.
After cancelling events in the national capital, the Tibetan government-in-exile will now start pan-India “Thank You India” programmes to mark the beginning of the 60th year of the Dalai Lama arriving in India.
The Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet to India in March 1959.
To mark the events, Sangay on Wednesday released a “Thank you India” music video, performed and produced by artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, thanking India for its hospitality and assistance.
Sangay said the yearlong events lined up as part of the campaign include a mass tree plantation drive to support a green India movement, participating in Yoga Day events organised by the government of India, distribution of food to the hungry and homeless and a mass cleanliness drive to observe the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat initiative.
Acknowledging the growing Chinese pressure on global leaders on the Tibet issue, Sangay said: “Wherever I go, be it Europe, the US, the pressure is increasing.”
The CTA is organising a public event here to officially launch the “Thank You India” campaign on March 31.
It will be one of the largest events ever organised by the Tibetans in Dharamsala and hundreds of guests are expected to attend, including Naren Das, a member of the first delegation that received the Dalai Lama when he first set foot on India.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will attend the event.
The Dalai Lama, in an interview to CNN News18, has said he “doesn’t care about how Chinese pressure forced the cancellation of the events of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Delhi”.
He said it was more about “how you feel for Tibetans and how Tibetans feel for India”.
The Tibetan administration in exile is based in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.
–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.