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First edition of Dehradun Lit fest to begin on Friday
New Delhi: The hill town Dehradun is all set to host the first edition of its literature festival from Friday. The two-day festival will feature renowned authors like Nayantara Sehgal, Durjoy Dutta, Ashwin Sanghi, Dev Lahiri, Ranjit Lal and Omair Ahmad, among many others.
Organised by Harvard Club of India and brand consultancy firm, Springhead Communications, the event will be held at World Integrity Center, India (WIC India) – Dehradun’s most sought-after cultural hub.
Home to some of the most prominent authors like Ruskin Bond, Dehradun is the perfect setting to be the host venue, said Nazia Yusuf Izuddin, founder and president of WIC India.
“The festival is an effort to enrich life and to create a legacy that the children of Dehradun can inherit for times to come. Here, while one is close to nature and daily life is simple, one misses the opportunity to be part of intellectual, social and cultural activities of which literature events are an important aspect,” Izuddin added.
The first day will see enriching sessions like ‘Why imagination is more powerful than knowledge” with authors Ranjit Lal and Dev Lahiri, ‘Art of Storytelling’ by Ashwin Sanghi and sessions by Omair Ahmad and Humra Quraishi.
The highlights of the second day include a session titled ‘Religion and Politics’ by Nayantara Sehgal and Kota Neelima, while Durjoy Dutta and Novoneel Chakraborty will deliberate on ‘Humanotions’.
Apart from 25 authors, six top publishing houses will be participating in the event, which is expecting 5,000 participants.
“The fervour of a literature festival can be harmonised in a serene environment. This festival provides the best opportunity to build a holistic environment to boost reading in younger generation who are moving away from books towards web and social media,” said Springhead Communications CEO Subhashish Bharuka.
Apart from the literary feast, visitors can look forward to a book fair hosted by top publishers and scrumptious in-house gourmet world cuisine.
For music lovers, a live performances by well-known Swatantra rock band ‘EKA’ on Friday evening will be a perfect treat.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.