World
Fijians crowd around to shake hands with Modi, click selfies
Suva: Thousands of people gathered at Albert Park in this Fijian capital Wednesday to welcome Narendra Modi, the first Indian prime minister to arrive in this Pacific Ocean island nation in 33 years.
Modi, who was accorded a traditional iTaukei ceremonial welcome by the people of Sorokaba in Ba, went around to meet the visitors, and shook hands as many took selfies with him.
Many people travelled from far away to see the prime minister of India.
At the Albert Park, many visitors stood on the chairs to catch a glimpse of Modi as he walked around.
Among the crowd was 76-year-old Hari-Narayan who was at Albert Park to see then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi during her visit in 1981. He said he was happy at the visit of Modi.
Many primary and secondary school students also took selfies with Modi and shook hands with him.
Modi is here on a day-long visit, during which he held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and both sides inked a number of agreements.
Fiji comprises of over 300 islands, although only 110 of those are actually inhabited. The capital and largest city, Suva, is on Viti Levu.
The surface area of Fiji is around 18,274 sq km and this makes the country the 155th largest in the world.
Its population is around 849,000, with over 300,000 persons of Indian origin who have made this Pacific nation their home for over a century. For every square kilometre of Fiji territory, there is an average of 46.4 people living there.
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.