World
Killings of journalists puts gun violence in US in focus
By Arun Kumar
Washington: As the killing of two journalists on live TV brought the issue of gun violence in America back into sharp focus, the White House renewed a call for Congress to pass gun control laws.
“This is another example of gun violence that is becoming all too common in communities large and small all across the United States,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday.
“There are some common sense things that only Congress can do that we know would have a tangible impact on reducing gun violence in this country,” he said.
“Congress could take those steps in a way that would not infringe on the constitutional rights of law abiding Americans.”
A powerful gun lobby has foiled President Barack Obama’s efforts to tighten gun laws leading him to describe it as the greatest source of frustration during his time in office.
Even Obama’s Indian-American nominee for Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who has described gun violence as a public health issue, had to cool his heels for more than a year before his Senate confirmation in the face of fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association.
Murthy told the Asian American Journalists Association convention gala in San Francisco recently that he doesn’t regret his gun-control statement calling his difficult confirmation process a consequence of speaking out.
Commenting on Wednesday’s killings of two journalists, the New York Times lamented “an increasingly horrific fact of life and death in the United States that easily available guns offer troubled Americans the power to act out their grievances in public.”
Noting “a grim reality” that the estimated 300 million guns in America owned by a third of the population, far more per capita than any other modern nation,” it felt that “no change is likely, for all the social media grotesquerie.”
“The woeful truth underlying this latest shooting is more mundane than alarming. There are too many guns, and too little national will to do anything about them,” it said.
In a similar vein, the Washington Post also asked: “Will America finally do something to stop our gun-fuelled carnage?”
Any rational government would carefully regulate “highly dangerous machines that have some legitimate uses and many illegitimate ones,” it said.
“Instead, our leaders,” it said had “thwarted efforts to study the effects of having a society saturated with firearms and generally cowered before the lobbying might of a political fringe.”
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.