Diljit Dosanjh dedicates Guwahati concert to former PM Manmohan Singh
New Delhi: Punjabi singing sensation Diljit Dosanjh dedicated his concert to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who died on the night of December 26.
The singer-actor on Instagram shared a video from Sunday's concert in which he spoke about the lessons he believes people should learn from Singh.
"Today’s Concert is dedicated to Dr Manmohan Singh Ji. DIL-LUMINATI TOUR Year 24," he captioned the post.
View this post on Instagram
In the clip, Dosanjh recalled how Singh would never speak ill about anyone even if someone did so towards him.
"He lived a very simple life. If I look at the journey of his life, it was so simple. Even if someone talked ill about him, he never reverted in the same manner. In politics, it's the toughest thing to avoid," he is heard saying in the video.
"Have you ever seen those Lok Sabha sessions? Our politicians fight as if they are nursery kids... But something that we should learn from Dr Manmohan Singh ji is that he never responded back in the same manner," he added.
Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms and who served as the 13th Prime Minister of India between 2004 and 2014, died last week at the age of 92.
Dosanjh, 40, further mentioned the words which Singh would speak and said everyone including him should learn from him.
"He would often say 'Hazaaron jawabon se meri khamoshi acchi, na jaane kitne sawalon ki aabroo dhak leti hai' ('My silence is better than a thousand answers, it has saved the grace of many questions') and it is something the youth needs to learn from him, even I do. We should focus on our goals even if people speak worst about us and try to distract us," he said.
"Today, I bow my head in front of a man who loved his country and spent his life serving it," he added. The singer will next perform in Ludhiana on December 31 as part of his Dil-Luminati India Tour.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UK PM Keir Starmer takes ‘China matters’ message on first Beijing visit
London (PTI): “Like it or not, China matters to the UK,” is the message British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is taking on his visit to Beijing on Wednesday, accompanied by a 60-strong business and cultural delegation.
Downing Street said the visit, which will also cover Shanghai, reflects the UK’s “clear-eyed and realistic” approach to China in terms of opportunities and challenges they pose by continuing to pursue cooperation while “maintaining guardrails” when it comes to the country’s national security.
The Labour Party government is keen to highlight its re-engagement with China with this first visit in eight years, coming close on the heels of a ministerial go-ahead for its controversial new “mega embassy” in London.
“For years, our approach to China has been dogged by inconsistency – blowing hot and cold, from Golden Age to Ice Age. But like it or not, China matters for the UK,” Starmer said in a pre-visit statement.
“As one of the world’s biggest economic players, a strategic and consistent relationship with them is firmly in our national interest. That does not mean turning a blind eye to the challenges they pose – but engaging even where we disagree.
“This is what our allies do, and what I will do: delivering for the public, putting more money in their pockets and keeping them safe through pragmatic, consistent cooperation abroad,” he said.
The UK PM is set to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday for talks on trade, investment and national security, before travelling to Shanghai for a range of engagements with British and Chinese businesses.
Accompanied by a delegation of leading UK-based businesses, including Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover, sporting institutions, museums and theatre groups, Starmer is expected to push for access in areas such as the financial services sector, creative industries and life sciences.
“However, he will be clear that we will not trade economic cooperation for our national security. He will raise the areas where we disagree with China – being clear that we will always defend our national security and where viewpoints differ, frank and open dialogue is of vital importance,” Downing Street said.
Describing China as the world’s second largest economy, a crucial player in global supply chains and a growing military power, the UK said it is important to engage with its third-largest trading partner which supports 3,70,000 British jobs.
“We want to see trade flourish between us. From financial services to advanced manufacturing and the global energy transition, the UK’s strengths increasingly align with the rapidly evolving Chinese economy,” said Peter Kyle, the Business and Trade Secretary travelling with Starmer.
“The first duty of government is security, and we protect ourselves best through active engagement and pragmatic cooperation, not by shutting the door,” he said.
The visit follows the 2025 Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) that the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) claimed secured 600 million pounds in immediate benefits and the first UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) since 2018.
“The UK’s world-leading financial services sector is a cornerstone of our economy. With deep and liquid markets, and the FTSE hitting all-time highs, there are real opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with China which supports jobs for working people and growth for businesses across Britain,” said Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, also part of the ministerial delegation.
The Opposition Conservatives have criticised Starmer’s approach to China, amid human rights concerns and espionage fears. “Starmer has already surrendered to the Chinese Communist Party over their plan for a spy-hub super embassy in the heart of our capital,” said shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel.
“The evidence is overwhelming that China poses a serious threat to our national security and it is clear Starmer is going to China without any leverage. He lacks the backbone to stand up for Britain and is bending over backwards to appease Beijing,” she said.
Following his trip to China, Starmer is set to travel to Tokyo to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to reinforce the UK-Japan partnership, said to be worth over 100 billion pounds and supporting 2,00,000 UK jobs.
