National
Mumbai-born British ‘Curry King’ Noon dead
Mumbai: Mumbai-born British businessman Lord Ghulam Kaderbhoy Noon, who earneed the moniker ‘Curry King’ for popularising Indian chicken tikka and curry in Britain and survived the 26/11 terror attacks in Taj Mahal and Palace Hotel in Mumbai, has died in London.
Born in Mumbai on January 24, 1936, the 79-year-old Noon breathed his last — in a country he adopted in 1964 — on Tuesday after a prolonged battle with cancer.
While on a visit to India and his birthplace in Mumbai, Noon was among the thousands of guests trapped inside the iconic Taj Mahal and Palace Hotel during the November 26-29, 2008, Mumbai terror attacks, and was later rescued by security forces who stormed and neutralised the Pakistani terrorists.
Shiv Sena’s youth leader Aaditya Thackeray expressed grief over the demise of Lord Noon, a prominent member of the Dawoodi Bohra community who started with a sweetmeat shop in Mumbai nearly six decades ago.
“One of the most prominent Indians in Britain, and beyond that all, a very close friend of our family… Noon uncle was the epitome of the ‘never give up’ spirit of entrepreneurship and humanity,” said Aaditya Thackeray.
Migrating to Britain in his teens, Noon founded and ran a number of food product companies in Southall, specialising in Indian cuisine.
His main business ‘Noon Products’ was established in 1987, manufacturing chilled and frozen ready-to-eat Indian and Thai meals, mostly for British supermarkets.
In 1994, the factory was reduced to ashes in a blaze, but he got it working within 10 weeks and in 2005 it was acquired by Irish food giant Kerry Group.
In 1996, he was made Member of Order of British Empire (MBE), Knight Bachelor in 2002, as Baron Noon in 2011, and finally entered the British House of Lords in January 2011 as a Labour Party leader.
Later, Noon became the chancellor of University of East London, a Fellow of Birkbeck and a trustee of Maimonides Foundation, which promotes dialogue between the Jews and Muslims.
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.