Akshaya Patra: PM Modi serves food to underprivileged children in Vrindavan
Vrindavan : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday served meal to a group of underprivileged schoolchildren in Vrindavan and praised the efforts of an NGO towards eradicating hunger from the country.
The event was organised to mark the serving of the 3rd billionth meal by the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Modi arrived at the venue in a special chopper at 12 noon and was greeted with loud cheers as he walked on to the stage.
"Donation given to deserving people without thinking is 'satvik daan' (pure charity), Akshaya Patra is doing 'satvik daan'," he said.
"First thali through this NGO was served by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and "I feel fortunate to serve the third billionth thali today," Modi said.
From serving just 1,500 children in the beginning to over 17 lakh now, the NGO is helping in the growth of the country.
After his nearly 30-minute address, he served food to the schoolchildren from Vrindavan in a special pavilion made for the purpose, behind the main pavilion.
Modi also tweeted a video clip of it and said, "Had the honour of serving food to children in Vrindavan today".
The menu was roti, paneer vegetable, choley, pulao, pakoda, sprouts salad and gajar ka halwa, a spokespeson of the NGO said.
He even spoon-fed a few children and blessed them.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also joined him in serving food.
Earlier, a few selected school students were given a box of Akshaya Patra-shaped dry fruits items on the stage by Modi.
Rupesh, a Class 6 student, was thrilled to meet him, and told PTI, "Modiji asked me, if I was eating well and playing regularly or not? Also, if teachers were feeding us properly in schools or not."
Ahead of arriving in Vrindavan to serve meal to underprivileged schoolchildren, Modi Monday had praised the efforts of Akshaya Patra foundation towards eradicating hunger from the country.
"Congratulations to all those associated with this mission. Their efforts towards eradicating hunger are exemplary," he tweeted.
He also unveiled a ceremonial plaque at the event to mark the serving of "3rd billionth meal" by Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Funded by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Akshsya Patra is a not-for-profit organisation that works with the government on mid-day meal schemes.
The Bengaluru-based NGO has a state-of-the-art kitchen in Vrindavan and Modi served food to children near the facility.
Modi said the work done by the foundation is one of the best examples of "the journey showing the 'me-to-we' transition".
BJP's Mathura MP Hema Malini also joined the prime minister at the event.
The centralised kitchen located the Mandir's campus caters to government schools in Mathura-Vrindavan as part of the mid-day meal scheme.
A silver 'patra' (container), as symbolised in our logo, was gifted to the prime minister, the spokesperson said.
Akshaya Patra is currently serving 14,702 schools across 12 states.
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.
'He is in a happy place now': Harish Rana's last rites conducted, family to donate his organs
Ghaziabad (UP) (PTI): Don't cry, he is in a happy place now, the parents of Harish Rana, the first person in India to be permitted passive euthanasia, said on Wednesday as they bid farewell to their son one last time.
Harish's last rites were conducted at the Green Park cremation ground in South Delhi on Wednesday morning, marking a quiet end to his 13-year ordeal.
In a final act of generosity, Harish's family consented to donate five of his organs.
The 31-year-old man passed away on Tuesday after slipping into a coma in 2013, following a fall from a fourth-floor balcony while he was a B.Tech student at Panjab University.
During the last rites, Harish's mother bid an emotional farewell to her son with folded hands and met those present, while his father Ashok Rana urged mourners not to cry, a neighbour told PTI over the phone.
Residents who attended the cremation described the atmosphere as deeply emotional. Tejas Chaturvedi, a resident of the Raj Empire Society, noted that many attendees were moved to tears during the ceremony. However, Ashok Rana continued to console others and encouraged them to remain strong in their moment of grief.
"Let no one weep. I am praying that my son may depart in peace. Wherever he is born next, may he receive God's blessings," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai, who visited the cremation ground to pay his respects, told PTI that the family had confirmed donation of five of Harish's organs. "Harish might be gone, but he will continue to live on through the beneficiaries of his organ donation. The family has set an example before the entire nation," Rai told PTI over the phone.
Family members, along with representatives of the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement led by women, attended the cremation to offer their prayers for Harish. Residents from the Raj Empire Society in Ghaziabad, where the Rana family lives, also came to show their support, joining a diverse group of NGOs, AIIMS staff, relatives, and friends.
Harish's body was transported to the cremation ground in an ambulance, and the platform was covered in rose petals. Many mourners paid their last respects with folded hands, and some placed saffron garlands on the body before it was laid upon the pyre. Ashish Rana, Harish's younger brother, lit the pyre, accompanied by his sister, Bhavna.
Sister Lovely of the Brahma Kumaris, who has been associated with the family and travelled to the cremation ground, said that meditative chants were performed during the last rites. "The body is leaving the mortal world, but the soul is immortal and has begun a new journey," she said.
"The family decided to donate Harish's eyes," Sister Lovely told PTI.
Additionally, Sister Lovely shared that a 'bhog' (offering) and prayer ritual will be held by the Brahma Kumaris in the coming days, where food items that Harish enjoyed will be prepared. "Harish could not eat for over a decade. Now the soul is free. In a symbolic gesture, we will offer the food that his body loved," she said.
Earlier, neighbours and well-wishers spoke of the family's unwavering commitment to caring for Harish despite the emotional and financial challenges they faced over the years. His parents, Ashok Rana and Nirmala Devi, described the decision to allow passive euthanasia as "extremely painful but necessary."
According to sources, the family is scheduled to return to their Ghaziabad residence after completing the last rites and related rituals.
Harish was shifted to the palliative care unit at AIIMS Delhi earlier this month from his Ghaziabad home following a landmark Supreme Court order permitting the withdrawal of life support for him. He passed away on Tuesday.
The apex court had clarified that passive euthanasia in his case would involve withdrawal of artificial nutrition, such as the feeding tube, while continuing palliative care to allow a natural death with dignity. Medical boards had concluded that his condition was irreversible.
