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Men need to call out their peers for predatory behaviour: Padma Lakshmi

Juneau (Alaska), Sep 22 (IANS) India-born supermodel Padma Lakshmi has great respect for the women coming out with their own experiences of sexual abuse, and says it takes incredible courage to come forward in “our victim-blaming culture”.
“It’s so demoralising to me that this is the tone of the national conversation. Men need to step the f**k up and call out their peers for disgusting, predatory behaviour. Now more than ever,” Padma posted on Twitter.
Her tweet came as a response to actor Andy Richter’s post, which read: “I’m 51. It is appalling to me that the ‘Why women don’t report sexual assault’ pieces that I’ve seen published throughout my entire life are still necessary. As if simple human empathy wasn’t enough to understand why. Be better, men. You make life awful for women. Stop it.”
Padma, whose tryst with glamour started when she stepped on the ramp and acquired the tag of a supermodel, also opened up about her experiences of sexual abuse.
“I was 7 the first time I was sexually assaulted. He was a relative of my mom’s second husband. I told my folks and they sent me away,” she recalled.
“The second time I was 16 years old and a virgin. He was my boyfriend. ‘Date rape’ wasn’t discussed in the 1980s. I was horrified and ashamed. The third time I was assaulted I was 23. I thought that no one would believe me, because no one wanted to stand up to him. I had seen the way Anita Hill was treated when she came forward,” the actress added.
Padma, who has featured in “Wasteland”, “Pirates: Blood Brothers”, “Boom” and “The Mistress of Spices”, slammed the whole victim-blaming culture.
“To people saying ‘Why didn’t he/she report it?’, when something so evil happens to you it takes a long time to process it. In our victim-blaming culture, it takes incredible courage to come forward. The victim is treated like the perpetrator.”
Padma added that “sexual predators try to hold power over their victims: physically, financially or socially”.
“They might threaten to kill you, ruin your reputation or blacklist you in your industry. And the whole time you’re steeped in shame over a trauma you didn’t cause,” said the mother of one.
After expressing her anger about the way sexual abuse incidents are handled, she said: “It’s not about fathers telling their seven-year-old daughters to speak up. It’s about men not doing this in the first place. It’s about men calling out their peers for their disgusting behaviour. It’s about accountability.”
–IANS
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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.