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December 2016

Vol.67, Issue 6

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Healing Little Hearts

Panduranga Setty honoured Team Rotary News

PRID Panduranga Setty being honoured with Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya Memorial Award by FKCCI.

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ast Rotary International Director M K Panduranga Setty was conferred the Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya Memorial Award 2016 by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) on its Founder’s Day – the 155th birth anniversary of the ‘Father of the modern Mysore State,’ and the architect of the famous KRS dam across the River Cauvery Sir M Visvesvaraya. The prestigious award was instituted in 1999 and among its recipients include eminent industrialists such as Azim Premji, Nandan Nilekani, Baba Kalyani and eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Shetty.

Panduranga Setty, a past president of FKCCI, is a trailblazer in the industrial and educational fields, having carved a niche for himself in the progress of Karnataka. He was instrumental

in building the milling technology from scratch in Mysuru after studying an advanced course in Switzerland.

As chairman of RV Group of institutions, “he has left his footprints across the industrial, social and educational domains of the State with a rare touch of simplicity and adorable demeanour,” said FKCCI President M C Dinesh.

Setty set up an International School of Milling Technology (ISMT),

Panduranga Setty has left his footprints across the industrial, social and educational domains of the State with a rare touch of simplicity and adorable demeanour.

a first-of-its-kind institution that honed a skilled workforce in the flour milling industry in Mysuru. Back in the 1950s, he pioneered a range of industry exhibitions in the country. With foresight, he organised AHARA 82 — the first international food expo in the country that showcased products and emerging technologies in the food industry.

Thanks to his efforts in its formative years, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has become a highly rated B-school in the country. Added Dinesh, “Setty is truly an example of one who has imbibed the principles and vision of Visvesvaraya.”

While accepting the honour, Setty recalled the path he had travelled, the friends he had made and the principles he had followed in his successful journey in social entrepreneurship.

Contents 32 2017 Institute at Kuala Lumpur The luxurious Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa in the Malaysian capital will host RIDE C Basker’s first Institute from Dec 1–3, 2017.

35 Rotary celebrates

12

Dil se... in Mumbai

Put together a large hearted metro and service minded, passionate Rotarians and together they are creating magic in mending little hearts.

Polio Free India A mega human formation of Polio Free India and tributes to the polio volunteers mark the World Polio Day celebrations at Delhi.

36 Honouring Baroda’s Jewels RC Baroda Metro honours the Navaratnas of Vadodara in its Rotary Art Festival.

40 Better awareness of Rotary

Peace Programme needed Everything you wanted to know about the Rotary peace programme.

56 A Rotary Bhishm Pitamah

20 Mending schools, Bringing smiles The latest TRF decision on a three-year pilot project making low-cost shelters and quality schools eligible for Global Grants merits revisiting the phenomenal reconstruction work done by Rotary in Kutch after the devastating earthquake of 2001.

RC Moradabad Midtown celebrates the 100th birthday of its member, Rtn J S Rastogi.

66 A joint fight against African

blindness This global grant project of RC Nigdi-Pune helps in restoring sight of thousands of people in Ethiopia.

52 Woman,

interrupted Unexpectedly, and everywhere, they shine for you. There’s reason and no reason.

28

Of felicitation & nostalgia

Seven Rotary clubs of Vadodara felicitate TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee.

On the cover: Paediatric heart surgeon Dr Suresh Rao with his patient at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

LETTERS The best journal in my library

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iving one more life (November issue) is an excellent article beautifully narrated by Rasheeda Bhagat. The first paragraph itself creates interest to read the entire article at a single shot. The photos are attractive.

Dr Hans’ return is a certificate for Rotary. The article reminded me of my project as club president — a free ENT check-up for special children in Salem.The editorial Touching little lives has a strong

Priceless donation he article A Priceless Donation

by Jaishree in the October issue has created a new awareness and changed my mind. A real salute to Captain Rtn Mohan Bir Singh. Today, bone marrow transplantation is among the greatest success stories in cancer treatment, boosting survival rates. Bone marrow transplantation should be promoted by NGOs and government through special awareness sessions.

A special thanks and congratulations to the Editorial team for bringing out such articles related to health care.

A R Johnson Durai RC Cuddalore – D 2981

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was overwhelmed to read this article. Hats off to Rtn Mohan Bir Singh for following Rotary’s motto Service

4 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

message: “Money, however big the sum, comes if there is a focus, commitment, passion and if the cause is the right one.”

The message from the RI Director Manoj Desai is impressive and interesting. Making India Literate sheds light on TEACH programmes and makes every Rotarian proud. Every Rotarian must participate in this initiative.

Combining cooking and literacy shows how Rotary serves people.

Meet your Governors in each issue is interesting and helps Rotarians to know the dedication and hard work of the DGs. Develop good body image by Sheela Nambiar is a useful article, and Club Matters is informative.

To sum up, Rotary News is the best journal in my library.

V Jayaprakash RC Salem East – D 2982 above Self in its true spirit by donating bone marrow to a child he didn’t know. This is real service to mankind as said in the Gita. He is a role model who is spreading a meaningful message of kindness. God bless him and his family. There is no match of the generosity of Rotarians in the world.

Meet your Governors and Literacy Focus, with its focus on the girl child are very interesting too.

Raj Kumar Kapoor RC Roopnagar – D 3080

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he article Bonding Beyond Borders (October issue) is remarkable and very true. It reminds me of my experience 42 years ago when we, a handful of youngsters, had enjoyed such an experience. Irrespective of any platform, such youth exchanges cement bonds, build friendship and promote

understanding between different religions and cultures.

Piyush Doshi RC Belur – D 3291

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t was a pleasure to read the October issue. I suggest avoiding the use of abbreviations such as AKS or TRF repeatedly in articles. Or at least, at few places expand these shortened forms which will be of help to new members and non-Rotarians.

Arvind Ghatkar, Secretary RC Panaji – D 3170

Piramal’s noble work his is with reference to the article India is doing well in philanthropy in the November issue. I am happy to note that Ajay Piramal of the Piramal Group has supported The Rotary Foundation by becoming an Arch Klumph Society member with a donation of $250,000, even though he has got his own Foundation and is only an honorary Rotarian. Asked why he supported TRF, his reply was “Rotary is doing good in the world.”

As a strong believer in the Bhagwad Gita, he claims the resources he has must be shared with those who did not have the same. His Foundation works in education, health and safe drinking water. Hats off to him for having adopted the ideology of Rotary.

Good pictures too.

N Jagatheesan RC Eluru – D 3020

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Economics and Cauvery ne should realise that at any cost energy or electricity has to be generated or produced but water on the other hand cannot be produced; it is a natural resource and belongs to everyone. No one has the right to sell water. The writer seems more biased than wanting to solve the problem.

Cauvery is one fourth in Karnataka and three fourths in Tamil Nadu and people in both the States have the

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LETTERS right to use it. Why bring money into this issue? Why not open the dam gates on both sides and let the river flow naturally without stopping as it was done 100 years ago, and let the people on either side use what they want. It is not economics but sheer politics.

Sidduram L S RC Mettupalayam – D 3202

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ith reference to TCA Srinivasa Raghavan’s article on the solution to the River Cauvery dispute (November issue), as Rotarians, we are well aware that this river water dispute and the related violence are all part of dirty politics. We are all children of one family (Rotary) and it would be in fitness of things for us to take steps to solve the water row which is acceptable to all the four riparian States.

K Devarajan RC Coimbatore East – D 3201

Are Rotary clubs losing charm? am an old timer, a past governor and a very committed Rotarian.

With changed environment and a generational shift compounded by

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a crazy legislation, I feel sad and disillusioned.

My Rotary club is no more a dear destination for warm fellowship, fine conversations and memorable interactions with those who matter, with pride in vocational excellence and a feeling that we are connected internationally.

Technology has become a spoilsport.

Rotary clubs are no more places for warm fellowships and social interaction.

The well documented GMLs, informative Directories are conspicuous by their absence. Information is today shared mostly from computers/ mobiles if one is blessed with these gadgets. May be my thoughts are fossilised but my Rotary spirit is still intact.

The Trust properties and endowments need to be well-managed. The services which earned kudos from the community need to be sustained.

The Rotary clubs canot sacrifice calibre and quality of membership at the expense of quick fix enrolment.

Pardon my obsession to revive the glorious past.

JV Reddy Past Governor – D 3160

The unique charm of Rotary News

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ecently I attended the Rotary Leadership Institute, where a faculty member urged the participants to “read Rotary News regularly to know everything about Rotary”. I never miss any issue, but of late the magazine has become so attractive that it becomes a challenge for the readers where to begin. Every page, every article, has its own charm, be it the cover page, the editorial or messages from world leaders.

The November issue reflects how

Rotary changes lives and brings back smiles. And it is nice to see one more AKS member — Ajay Piramal — who despite his own Foundation, considers The Rotary Foundation as a trustworthy partner. We thank him. The mouth-watering article (Delhi’s food Odyssey) really takes me to the gallis of Delhi. I eagerly await the next issue.

Sukhminder Singh RC Amenity Barddhaman – D 3240

A humble, polite IAS officer

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he down to earth and an extremely interesting episode about saintly Mother Teresa’s unpredictable surprising visit to the IAS officer Debi Prasad Patra’s residence in Kolkata — A special encounter in the October issue — should be read by all Rotarians for emulating the humble, polite behaviour of the IAS officer.

He saw the Mother entering his bungalow and with reverence touched her feet.

The Mother’s selfless service is to be emulated by every human being.

The three concepts of the RI President — willing hands, caring hearts and bright minds — were visible in the Mother’s personality. She strived to make the dejected and depressed women smile.

G V Sayagavi RC Davanagere Vidyanagara – D 3160

We welcome your feedback. Write to the Editor: rotarynews@rosaonline.org; rushbhagat@gmail.com DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 5

Governors Council RI Dist 2981

DG

A Mani

RI Dist 2982

DG

T Shanmugasundaram

RI Dist 3000

DG

M Muruganandam

RI Dist 3011

DG

Dr N Subramanian

RI Dist 3012

DG

Sharat Jain

RI Dist 3020

DG

Dr S V S Rao

RI Dist 3030

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Mahesh H Mokalkar

RI Dist 3040

DG

Darshan Singh Gandhi

RI Dist 3051

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Dinesh Kumar V Thacker

RI Dist 3052

DG

Ramesh Choudhary

RI Dist 3053

DG

Bhupendra Jain

RI Dist 3060

DG

Hitesh Manharlal Jariwala

RI Dist 3070

DG

Dr Sarbjeet Singh

RI Dist 3080

DG

Raman Aneja

RI Dist 3090

DG

Sanjay Gupta

RI Dist 3110

DG

Dr Ravi Mehra

RI Dist 3120

DG

Dr Pramod Kumar

RI Dist 3131

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Prashant Deshmukh

RI Dist 3132

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Pramod Shashikant Parikh

RI Dist 3141

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Gopal Rai Mandhania

RI Dist 3142

DG

Dr Chandrashekhar Kolvekar

RI Dist 3150

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Ratna Prabhakar Anne

RI Dist 3160

DG

Sreerama Murthy

RI Dist 3170

DG

Dr Vinaykumar Pai Raikar

RI Dist 3181

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Dr R S Nagarjuna

RI Dist 3182

DG

Devarunda Subbegowda Ravi

RI Dist 3190

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H R Ananth

RI Dist 3201

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Dr Prakash Chandran Arackal

RI Dist 3202

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Dr Jayaprakash P Upadhya

RI Dist 3211

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Dr John Daniel

RI Dist 3212

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Dr K Vijayakumar

RI Dist 3230

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Natrajan Nagoji

RI Dist 3240

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Dr Rintu Guha Niyogi

RI Dist 3250

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Dr R Bharat

RI Dist 3261

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Deepak Mehta

RI Dist 3262

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Narayan Nayak

RI Dist 3291

DG

Shyamashree Sen

Board of Permanent Trustees & Executive Committee PRIP PRIP PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID RID RIDE

Rajendra K Saboo Kalyan Banerjee Sudarshan Agarwal Panduranga Setty Sushil Gupta Ashok Mahajan Yash Pal Das Shekhar Mehta P T Prabhakhar Dr Manoj D Desai C Basker

RI Dist 3080 RI Dist 3060 RI Dist 3011 RI Dist 3190 RI Dist 3011 RI Dist 3140 RI Dist 3080 RI Dist 3291 RI Dist 3230 RI Dist 3060 RI Dist 3000

Executive Committee Members (2016–17)

DG M Muruganandam

RI Dist 3000

Chair - Governors Council

DG Shyamashree Sen

RI Dist 3291

Secretary - Governors Council

DG Sarbjeet Singh

RI Dist 3070

Secretary - Executive Committee

DG Natarajan Nagoji

RI Dist 3230

Treasurer - Executive Committee

DG Gopal Rai Mandhania

RI Dist 3141

Member - Advisory Committee

ROTARY NEWS ROTARY SAMACHAR Editor Rasheeda Bhagat Senior Assistant Editor Jaishree Padmanabhan Send all correspondence and subscriptions to ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India.

Phone : 044 42145666 e-mail : rotarynews@rosaonline.org Website : www.rotarynewsonline.org

From th e E d i t or ’s Desk

Demonetisation and a Chennai auto driver

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s the demonetisation debate rages — its pluses and minuses, a great scheme which could have been planned and implemented better to spare the pain to the ordinary Indian, and so on — what cannot be denied is the urgent and crying need to make huge dents on corruption and the black economy of our country, which is estimated to be over a third of the Indian economy. A statistic that should make us bow our heads down in shame.

But leaving the merits of the case to economics experts, it is mind-blowing for me to recall an interview I did with an auto rickshaw driver in Chennai over two months ago. His spirit and integrity needs celebration, as he is among the millions of ordinary, honest Indians who can teach our corrupt netas, babus, businessmen and others a lesson on what real nationalism is. I interviewed Annadurai, 31, because he had been honoured as an unsung hero by the Rotary Club of Madras East. Four years ago he decided that his customers gave him a livelihood, “and are my real god. I must do something for them”. So he put 8 newspapers and 35 magazines in his auto; “but I found only 30 per cent read; the other 70 per cent are on their phones surfing Facebook, etc”. So he got them connectivity for free, and this in 2011! As word spread and his popularity soared, he gradually invested in a Samsung tablet, a laptop and iPad; as he operates in the IT corridor of Chennai, the fit was perfect. Business soared, but he found his customers often struggling to give him change. When a foreigner once gave him Rs 1,000 for a Rs 30 fare, and asked him to keep the change, “I told him politely I don’t take tips and don’t want to keep your money, even though India is a poor country. His reaction told me he realised that India has changed.”

As the problem of change persisted, and “in the IT corridor everybody gets paid by bank transfers”, he decided to get a swiping machine so they could

pay him through credit cards. The Bank Manager asked him “what kind of shop I had. When I said I need to keep it in my auto, you should have seen his face!” He asked for eight documents, company registration, logo, seal, visiting card, current account number, etc. Annadurai organised it all in two weeks “as I had registered my company called Amazing Auto, just like that.”

But what he says next is more amazing and mirrors what the Prime Minister said while announcing demonetisation on November 8. Annadurai’s exact words, which I’ve recorded, were uttered on September 20, 2016. “When my clients boarded, I gave them the credit card option, and told them it was not only to save them the hassle of withdrawing cash, it was towards a digital India and open transactions and to eliminate black money and corruption. This is the only way we will get rid of corruption. To prevent people dodging taxes, we must have open transactions.”

Next, he organised the option of mVisa — Mobile payments through QR code. Now 60 per cent of his passengers pay by card, and the regulars swipe the card themselves! This is not all. As his income improved, he felt “guilty that as an Indian citizen I wasn’t paying taxes”. So he filed his return and “I now pay Rs 1,500 as tax, and feel that every rupee I pay goes into Arun Jaitley Sir’s budget!” Last year, when the flood-affected in Chennai got Rs 2,000 each, “I felt happy that the money the central Government had given, included my taxes of Rs 1,500.”

Isn’t he a role model worth celebrating?

Rasheeda Bhagat

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 7

President Speaks

Helping people we might never meet Dear Fellow Rotarians,

I

joined Rotary as an engineer. There are almost as many classifications in the profession of engineering as there are in Rotary, but I happen to be a mechanical engineer. A mechanical engineer calculates the heating and cooling loads for a new building, makes sure the right lights are in the right places, and plans the plumbing so your hot water pipe doesn’t end in a drinking fountain.

Mechanical engineers don’t stand out in a crowd, and they don’t call attention to themselves with what they do. You probably haven’t thought much about the engineers who designed the buildings you use, the car you drive, or the traffic patterns you follow. But every time you get in an elevator, turn the key in your ignition, or cross the street when the light says go, you are entrusting your life to an engineer somewhere whom you’ve never met. You trust that your elevator will open at the floor you want it to. You trust that your car will start and stop as it should. You trust that the traffic light is going to turn red before the walk light goes on. Every day, you put your life in the hands of people whose names you do not know and whom you might never meet. You might not think about them at all — but they touch your lives every day.

I could draw the same parallel to any number of other vocations — ordinary occupations with the same kind of life-changing impact. In so many ways — some of which we see and some we don’t — our vocations allow us to help other people live better, safer, and healthier lives.

Just like the work we do in Rotary.

Through our vocations and in our clubs, in our communities, and across continents, we are touching the lives of people we don’t know and might never meet. And in every part of the world, every single day, whether they know it or not, people are living better, safer, and healthier lives because of the work of Rotary.

The people we help might not have met a single Rotarian. They might not even know that Rotary exists. But they are drinking clean water from a bore well that Rotary dug. They’re learning to read with books that Rotary gave them. They’re living lives that are better, happier, and healthier — because of Rotary Serving Humanity.

John F Germ President, Rotary International 8 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Message from the RI

Director

DDZI: yet another WHAM! Those who have registered for the Dazzling Dubai Zone Institute (DDZI) will experience excellent business with pleasure. The strategy for both my Institutes has been Winning Hearts And Minds (WHAM).

Winning hearts and minds is a concept worth imbibing in life though it may not be easy. It was first used by Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey, a French General and Colonial Administrator, as part of his strategy to counter the Black Flags rebellion along the Indochinese border in 1895. Later it was used in the Vietnam and Malayan wars. You can see the Malaysian women more active in politics too. That is the impact it can create.

It has been occasionally expressed in the resolution of war, insurgency and other conflicts, in which one side seeks to prevail not by the use of superior force, but by making emotional or intellectual appeals to sway supporters of the other side.

Let me put aside wars and business. Our experience at Jaipur has made my belief firm that WHAM is vital in any field. Sometimes, we transact only business but without pleasure; sometimes it is only pleasure and no business. Why can't we create a good balance of both so that it appeals to everyone's heart as well as mind?

Science has proved that both are different. While one is the Emotional Quotient (EQ), the other is Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Wherever we travel this year, we hear praise for the Jaipur Zone Institute and that has put significant pressure on Chairman Raja Seenivasan and the entire team of DDZI — that too in a different country with different sets of rules. Can you believe that I have made 12 trips to Dubai and Raja has made even more than that?

We have selected the best venues for memorable evenings, and speakers who can create an unforgettable impression on minds. We have got the choicest entertainment to thrill all delegates and lure you all to shake your legs.

Friends, both Sharmishtha and I have known you well in spite of our exhaustive travel schedule in the past one year and five months. This year, despite my significant travel to the US, we could visit nearly 21 districts until now. You all wanted a change and Dubai was chosen. We had to close down registrations on November 7‌ our big thanks to you all.

You must have read the two issues of the newsletter Dazzler with all important news. Please go through it once again before coming to Dubai to be well informed on what is going to happen. There is enough time for pleasure. My only request is: be there for the business sessions on time. Only then can we attempt to win your hearts and minds.

The countdown has begun. Only two weeks to go. Chair Raja, Vice Chair T V R Murti, Secretary Abhay Gadgil and Joint Secretary N Asoka and Team 247 is awaiting you all with utmost respect.

I convey my sincere thanks to DG Saeed of Dubai and PP Yaseen, the Emirates Airlines and the Dubai Tourism Department for their unstinted support.

Remember, Nothing is Impossible comes from the deserts of the UAE where Dubai dazzles. It also highlights the Rotary spirit of Zones 4, 5 and 6A in eradicating Polio and the various Literacy and WinS projects.

Let us enjoy Dazzling Dubai Zone Institute.

Manoj Desai Director, Rotary International MAY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 9

Message from the Foundation Chair

Responsible investing for doing good

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otarians frequently ask if The Rotary Foundation practices socially responsible investing by screening or restricting certain investments based on social, environmental, or political criteria. The answer is yes — and no.

Yes, the Foundation considers both financial and social returns when making an investment decision. Our Investment Committee encourages our investment consultant and its managers to invest in companies that comply with laws, regulations, ethical standards, and national or international norms and are aligned with Rotary values.

We also consider how each of our investment managers incorporates socially responsible investing as part of their process.

Currently seven of these managers, responsible for about 36 per cent of the Foundation’s total assets, were signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. These principles offer possible actions for incorporating environmental, social, and governance issues — such as climate change, public and workplace safety, and shareholder rights — into investment practice. Following these principles could reduce risk, improve returns, and better align our portfolio with our mission.

Does this mean the Foundation will categorically exclude specific companies or industries from investment? That’s where the “no” part of my answer comes in. Given Rotary’s diverse membership and its various cultural beliefs, agreeing on such restrictions would be extremely difficult.

The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation and the Rotarian financial experts on our Investment Committee take their job very seriously. Rotarians have entrusted us with millions of dollars that they have designated to do good in the world. Our capacity to provide clean water and education, improve health care and economic development, and promote peace depends heavily on our investment income. So it is especially important that we invest your gifts wisely.

Because The Rotary Foundation belongs to all of us, we believe strongly in transparency. To that end, we have posted a wealth of information on www.rotary.org. You can find audited statements of the Foundation for the past three years and tax returns for the past six years, along with extensive material on investment practices, philosophy, and historical returns. I hope this detailed information will reinforce your confidence in our Foundation and inspire your continued generosity.

Kalyan Banerjee Foundation Trustee Chair 100 ROT ROTARY OTA TARY ARY NE NEWS W DECEMBER DEC D EC E EMB MBER ER R 2016 2016

Dil se... in Mumbai Rasheeda Bhagat

Put together a large hearted metro and service minded, passionate Rotarians and together they are creating magic in mending little hearts.

T

here’s a different mindset in Mumbai. “I have never seen so much philanthropy anywhere else in India. No doubt it’s a rich city but it’s also a city with a heart to do something significant, provided the cause is the right one.”

It is a grateful Dr Suresh Rao, Paediatric Heart Surgeon and chief of the Children’s Heart Centre at the plush multispecialty Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) in Mumbai, and a veteran of at least 12,000 paediatric heart surgeries, who articulates his views on India’s commercial capital.

He has been operating on children with heart diseases for almost 25 years, having worked in Chennai, Kochi earlier.

For a service-minded medical specialist who can save lives irrespective of the class of the patient, what better boon than a partnership with Rotary,

“an international organisation with tremendous credibility”, that enables him to save the lives of children who otherwise lack the means to get quality medical care at such a hospital.

When Dr Rao calls Mumbai “a city with a heart” he is not exaggerating. “What is really heartening is that you have two children next to each other, one is from a wealthy family and the other one is poor. All of them get the same treatment; the same ICU,

It is easy to do a coronary bypass surgery; you can make tons of money if you are good, but this is a

the same ward and the same medical expertise. And sometimes, at the time of discharge, the grateful parents want to sponsor another poor child,” he says. So he now has a dozen families who have told him that when a needy child comes along “give us a call and we will organise the funds.”

different ball game.

Dr Suresh Rao

A District project District 3141 DG Gopal Rai Mandhania explains that till now different clubs

Dr Suresh Rao, accompanied by D 3141 DG Gopal Mandhania examines an infant after surgery.

in Mumbai were helping children with congenital heart projects undergo surgery. But now it has become a District project. “This being the Centennial year of The Rotary Foundation we have taken up many mega projects, but the biggest one is paediatric heart surgery, where even a few days old children are operated.”

Since this project concerns mending of little hearts, appeal for funds invariably hit home. “For instance, the other day, at a meet of RC Bombay Seaface, along with PP Pankaj Parikh, I made an emotional appeal for Paediatric heart surgery and we instantly received an initial commitment for 20 surgeries at Rs 25,000 for every child.”

He says every day a couple of kids receiving treatment at KDAH are sponsored by Rotary. “But the day I visit it, there are as many as 13 “Rotary” children there; at the OT, ICU and the ward,” points out Natasha Sejpal, wife of Parth Sejpal, charter president of RC Mumbai Lakers, who is passionately involved with D 3141’s Little Hearts project.

Interesting, inspirational Natasha’s story is as interesting as inspiring. She is not a Rotarian, but passionate about social work. When Dr Rao was working at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, “we’d get many paediatric surgery

For the Centennial year of TRF, we’ve taken up many mega projects, but the biggest one is paediatric heart surgery, where even a few days old children are operated.

DG Gopal Rai Mandhania

Two children sponsored

by Rotary have stayed for three months, but the hospital hasn’t asked us for any more money.

Natasha Sejpal

cases from Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Instead of making them come to us for follow up, we held two camps every year in Mumbai to examine the children.”

Natasha volunteered at such camps to guide the mothers. “One day Dr Rao said Rotary has taken up this project, why don’t you join?” With her husband Parth being an ardent Rotarian, she took the plunge.

The KDAH was started in 2009 and within six months Dr Rao joined its centre for heart care, and since then “I have been coming here every alternate day from 11 am to 5.30 pm,” says Natasha. She talks to the parents, and arranges funds through her Rotarian and other friends. Natasha admits that “money was a bit of a problem till last year, but now that Rotarians of the District are wholeheartedly involved and DG Mandhania has taken up this cause, money is coming in. He says his thrust area was diabetes but nobody wants to give money for diabetes now; you’re taking away all the money for the children,” she grins.

Mandhania adds that the District’s target is to help the healing of at least 300 little hearts through surgery, “but looking at the momentum it appears as though we may even go up to 500.

Each surgery costs between Rs 1.75 to 2.25 lakh which we are meeting from various sources.” Thanks to an MoU with the Hospital, Rotarians get a discounted package between Rs 1.75 lakh and Rs 2.25 lakh. Funds are available DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 15

Paediatric heart surgery is a little different; compared to any other branch of surgery, we reconstruct, we do not take out anything such as a growth or tumour.

Dr Suresh Rao

through one or two global grants, the DG allotting District funds, the CM’s fund and temples such as the Siddhi Vinayak and Mahalakshmi temples, and organisations such as the Agarwal Samaj. Lalit Grover from RC Bombay Hanging Garden, who is the Managing Trustee of Manav Seva Sanstha has agreed to give Rs 5 lakh for these surgeries.

The patients are identified through camps in smaller towns. “We are extremely lucky in having Natasha and Rtn Khuzem Sakarwala from RC Mumbai Green City, both dedicated to this project. They have a personal rapport with the parents and our success rate is about 98 per cent. We also organise paediatric surgeries for poor children in the Wockhardt and Holy Family Hospitals. RC Bombay alone has promised 100 operations,” says the DG. Sakarwala adds that a single Rotarian, Shamim Botawala from RC Mumbai Green City, who runs an orphanage in Mahim with 80 children and a school in Surat, has also given Rs 27.5 lakh for the Little Hearts project.

Paediatric surgery in India Both Dr Rao and children’s heart surgery specialty have had a “long, arduous but joyful journey in India”.

Working with Dr K M Cherian in Chennai for 11 years, he moved to Kochi to set up the heart centre at 16 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

the Amrita Institute. In 2009, six months after the KDAH was started, he returned to Mumbai, where he did his medical schooling. “Children from Mumbai and Gujarat came to Kochi for heart surgery and the KDAH management gave me and my team an opportunity to save lives. But this specialty requires full time care and management, so we are not visiting but whole time doctors here.”

What Dr Rao enjoys the most here is helping the poorest of poor children.

“When we started there was no comprehensive paediatric programme in

Mumbai, and our Chairperson Tina Ambani has made it clear that no child should be turned away for want of money,” explains Dr Santosh Shetty, Executive Director. Heart operations on children are done here on a package basis, the highest is Rs 4 lakh but the average is between Rs 1.75 lakh to Rs 2.35 lakh, with Rotary getting the Rs 1.75 lakh package at a subsidised rate of Rs 1.3 lakh.

Being a non-profit hospital and a CSR venture of the Reliance ADA Group, it is able to offer affordable specialised care. “The package includes

everything from admission to discharge. The average stay of a patient is 10 days, but if there is a complication, and the child has to stay for three weeks or even more, no questions are asked. And, of those three weeks, if two are spent in the ICU, it’s okay.

“Congenital heart surgery can overrun prescribed costs like crazy, not only here but the world over. But once the parents have organised the package money, either themselves or through NGOs such as Rotary, not a single extra rupee is charged. That makes a lot of difference in the quality

of care and gives confidence to the parents about best treatment irrespective of complications or length of stay,” says Dr Rao. He adds that if a child has to stay for a month, the bill can go up to Rs 20 lakh, but the cost is absorbed by the management. Natasha adds quietly, “We’ve had two Rotary kids staying for three months. But I didn’t get any phone calls for more money. Today a father called me and said: ‘I hope they won’t ask me for more money.’”

Later, when I walk around the ward, Bhavika Patel, an anxious

mother from Surat, whose family owns a textile mill, says her baby had completed one month’s stay, but her package of Rs 3 lakh held good. No more money was demanded.

Dr Rao says that unlike other private hospitals where a deposit has to be paid first, “here there is a blanket mandate from the management that even if the child needs ICU care, administer that, stabilise it, and then think about the money. If surgery is needed, we approach Natasha and she helps. If I can’t reach Natasha, our social work department steps in. The most painful thing for a doctor is his inability to give his expertise because of financial considerations.”

The ratio of poor to rich children getting specialised cardiac care here is 60:40, but sometimes it goes up to 70:30 in favour of poor children. “For me, as a doctor, it gives a sense of fulfilment. It is easy to do a coronary bypass surgery; you can make tons of money if you are good, but this is a different ball game. The challenge here is to make a difference in an entire family’s life and to develop this specialty for which there is a huge need in this country. Dr Cherian planted the seeds and we have today come to a level where we more or less match the European and American centres of excellence.”

When it comes to hardware, the poorest of children admitted here by Rotary, or others, get the best treatment, along with medical and surgical

Our Chairperson Tina Ambani has made it clear that no child should be turned away for want of money.

Dr Santosh Shetty

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 17

When a girl baby’s heart is undervalued

T

he most common congenital heart problems are babies born with wrong connections for which an arterial switch operation has to be done. The other common emergency is when blood flowing from the lungs back to the heart is obstructed; hole in the heart and defective valves are other problems.

“These children we’ve taken up Saturday or Sunday, day or night. Of late we get kids with dengue fever who have to be put on life support systems.”

On an average each procedure takes about 5–6 hours, and most of them are open heart surgeries.

It is heart-breaking to hear Dr Rao describe how many families with limited means are reluctant to get a girl child with a heart problem operated. “Often the husband’s family doesn’t support treatment for the girl child,

but the parents, specially the mother, move heaven and earth to find the resources,” he says.

Once the surgery is successful, the mother breaks down and confides in the doctor while thanking him how the entire family was against the operation. “I’ve had instances where the mother has given consent and the father has walked off, only returning when the child does well. It is such gratitude that keeps us going,” adds Dr Rao. Virendra Widge, Special Aide to the DG, says recently, the Rotarians who had helped surgery for a 22-day-old baby were overwhelmed “when the parents asked us to name the child. It was so touching. In another case, sponsored by our club for a girl child called Tanu, the father wept after the surgery and said but for you people my child would have died.”

care. “We’ve had visitors from Boston Children’s Hospital and UK and other places; they are envious of our facilities… particiulary those from UK hospitals,” adds Dr Rao. Challenges On the main challenges this specialty has faced as it developed in India, Dr Rao says, “When we started, when the specialty was crystallising in India, we saw the bigger children who had survived congenital heart problems.”

As the surgeons got more expertise and parents and paediatricians more

Congenital heart surgery can overrun prescribed costs like crazy, not only here but the world over.

Dr Suresh Rao Baby Ananya.

DG Gopal Mandhania shares a joke with Natasha Sejpal; also in the picture (From L) Aria Ohri, RC Bombay Seacoast President Ratnesh Desai, Parth Sejpal, Khuzem Sakarwala, Virendra Widge, Dr Suresh Rao, Santosh Shetty, Executive Director of the Hospital, and Dhaval Bhatt.

awareness, and ultra sound imaging came in, cardiology matured. “We now operate on newborns; the youngest I have done here is a 12-hour baby.”

The problem was a wrong connection, the child, an extremely blue baby, born in another hospital had crashed. It was rushed to KDAH; “we tried to stabilise the baby, did not succeed and did the surgery to fix the problem. The child is now doing well,” smiles the cardiac surgeon.

The other problem in India is that many of the children coming to him are malnourished and low birth weight babies… with the average weight of the child his team operates on being a mere 3.9 kg. “Paediatric heart surgery is a little different for the simple reason that compared to any other branch of surgery, we reconstruct using tissues, we do not take out anything such as a tumour.”

The Rotary experience Dr Rao has been associated with Rotarians from his Kochi days; “I am

We showed the film on Little Hearts at our PETS conference, and in 30 minutes we got a commitment for 250–300 surgeries.

Gopal Rai Mandhania

aware of the enthusiasm and passion with which Rotarians work. Once they take up something, they see it through.

Even earlier some Rotary clubs in Mumbai were providing monetary assistance to children from poor families, but once the seed was sown by Natasha, the entire District has now taken up this project, and now I think it is going to be an explosion.”

Thanks to Sakarwala, who got his filmmaker friend Adi Pocha to make a moving short film on this project, where several parents spoke, Little Hearts has got a shot in the arm. “We

showed it at our PETS conference, where RI Director Manoj Desai was present, and in 30 minutes we got a commitment for 250–300 surgeries,” says Mandhania.

Going around the ward with the Rotarians and Dr Rao, I see children hooked on all kinds of tubes and monitors, battling for life. There is a 12-day-old baby who is really tiny, there is a three-month-old, a child from Kyrgyzstan, 8-year-old Shrutika Kamble, other children from Surat, Mumbai etc. The worry on the mothers’ faces is palpable, but the gratitude for Dr Rao and the Rotarians cannot be expressed in words.

But once the child is fine, gratitude is profuse. Anmol Sharma, who works as peon with a Rotarian and whose daughter Ananya underwent a surgery wrote: “It is because of people like you that families like mine are able to survive in this world. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh S DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 19

Doing good with TRF help

Mending schools, Bringing smiles Rasheeda Bhagat The latest TRF decision on a three-year pilot project making low-cost shelters and quality schools eligible for Global Grants, merits revisiting the phenomenal reconstruction work done by Rotary in Kutch after the devastating earthquake of 2001.

A

t Nirona village, about 45 km from the city of Bhuj, I walk into the Government Girls School that was badly damaged in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and where Rotary has built ten classrooms. It’s a Saturday morning and I fear encountering an empty school. But a treat is awaiting me. A Bal Sabha is on and about 60 girls, smartly turned out in their grey-checked uniforms, are reciting bhajans and other devotional songs. One of them is playing on a dholak, and their recitations fill the air.

Kanchanben, the principal, says that over 400 girls, most from poor families, study in this school. Most girls say their fathers are farm labourers, but though their background

At RI, there were serious doubts and misgivings about what Rotary was doing in Gujarat.

With Rs 60,000 on each house, they said, you can only build a slum, but we proved them wrong.

PDG Mohan Shah

20 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

might be humble, their dreams are not.

Dimple has lost her father, but not hope of a promising future, and shyly spells out her dream to be a doctor. Bhanu wants to become a teacher, Priya wants to become a computer engineer.

The sky is overcast, but the rain gods play hide and seek with Bhuj and its surrounding villages. The banyan, neem, gulmohar trees in the campus keep it cool.

PDG Mohan Shah, D 3050, one of the main pillars of the massive rebuilding and rehabilitation work Rotary did in Kutch after the 2001 earthquake, building 1,000 homes and 781 schools in 181 villages, intervenes to say that

in 2001, this was the only government school that was using a computer “so we gave them some computers”.

Chimanbhai, a teacher presiding over the Bal Sabha, tells him one of them is not working and gets a promise of a new computer courtesy Rotary.

The classrooms are spacious and well kept; there are toilets with running water. Even in the other junior classrooms, some activity is on, and it is heartening to see Government teachers turning up on a Saturday. There are smiles aplenty, the girls are enjoying their music session.

It’s a big campus; in India’s remote villages, land is not yet a luxury.

Adjoining the “new classrooms” built by Rotary almost 10 years ago, is the dilapidated part of the original school that was damaged in the quake.

“Nobody uses it”, says a teacher, adding “we only use the Rotary school!”

I leave the school smiling; the girls’ smiles are infectious.

A rewind The mind goes back to that horrific day in January 2001, when tens of thousands of homes were reduced to rubble by Gujarat’s killer quake and lakhs of people left homeless. “You know what it takes to build just one house. Just imagine what it would take

PDG Mohan Shah with schoolchildren at Nirona village.

While the rebuilding work was going on, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee made more than 50 visits.

PDG Bharat Dholakia

to build 1,000 homes and 781 schools in 181 villages. While the work was going on, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee made more than 50 visits,” recalls PDG Bharat Dholakia, who was the incoming District Governor of 3050 when the devastating earthquake hit Kutch on January 26, 2001.

“And he would do about 400 to 500 km car journey to see the reconstruction

work. We would have organised some snacks or lunch, but he’d say let’s go to the venue... and we’d be on a cup of tea from the morning!”

Dholakia, who lives in Bhuj, was himself away at the District Conference at Mount Abu, and while returning “in one of the villages I drove past what I thought were bonfires lit to keep the villagers warm in the cold month of January.” But reality hit him hard when he realised that these were actually funeral pyres. As there wasn’t sufficient wood for individual cremation, bodies were piled on top of each other and set afire. These horrifying images would return to haunt him again and again.

Also, they were worried sick about their three children at Bhuj. “The house was 125 years old, we kept

A ‘Rotary’ house in Padhar village, Bhuj.

trying to get in touch with the children but all telephone lines were down. And somebody told us our locality was the worst affected!”

But though the house was about to fall, the children were safe. Within 11 days he was scheduled to leave for the International Assembly. “My son said how will you get the clothes out?

I volunteered to step down. But soon Kalyanbhai came and he said you have to become DG and attend the assembly.” Banerjee organised an office for Dholakia in Mumbai.

From the about-to-collapse house, they somehow retrieved his clothes, he borrowed money from his relatives in Mumbai as all banks were closed and made it to the International Assembly.

A VIP at the International Assembly To his surprise, Dholakia found an escort for him at the Assembly; “I was interviewed by every possible media — Voice of America, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and so on. Everywhere I was introduced as a “homeless Governor” and I’d say thank god you don’t call me hopeless governor!”

But the impact of a DG, who was personally affected by the debilitating quake, was great at the International Assembly. “The spouses of past RI Presidents wanted to give me a gift and I asked for a school in Bhuj. And for the first time a matching grant was given for construction work. The Japanese DG also raised a lot of money for the rebuilding in Kutch,” he says.

Bhuj District was badly affected by the earthquake and the reconstruction task was massive. Soon a Trust — Rotary Gujarat Earthquake Rebuild Trust (RGERT) under the chairmanship of PRIP Rajendra K Saboo was formed; Banerjee was its Managing Trustee and the other Trustees were past RI Directors Sudarshan Agarwal, O P Vaish, P C Thomas and Sushil Gupta, along with Dholakia, and PDGs Mohan Shah, Shashank Rathod and Prafull Bhatt.

Rotary Government partnership The Trust entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Government “and we took seven talukas — there are about 100 villages in each taluka — to rebuild schools. Some schools needed two rooms, some three, or more. Each

The average administration cost of NGOs was 11 per cent, the highest being 32 per cent.

Our cost was one per cent for rebuilding in Bhuj.

PDG Mohan Shah

Bangladesh’s low-cost shelters

B

angladesh is a country that has been pounded by many disasters; affected by both droughts and floods.

One of the worst cyclones the country saw was in 1991, in which 1,35,000 people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed. Along with others Rotary has also built low cost shelters in Bangladesh. PDG M Jamaluddin, who is the Chairman, Rotary Shelter Bangladesh (1999– 2016), says that in the Rotary year 1997–98 a total number of 530 lowcost shelters were built and handed over to beneficiaries under matching grants received by 53 different clubs of the country.

24 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

A total number of 530 low-cost shelters were built under matching grants received by 53 different clubs of Bangladesh.

D 3281 PDG M Jamaluddin

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and Binota Banerjee examining the low cost houses built in Bangladesh to honour PRIP Glen Kinross’s 10 years of service after his presidential year.

A building by itself cannot educate children; it must have teachers who are trained in effective pedagogical methods.

A total sum of $636,000 was received from TRF by these clubs under Matching Grants. Of the 530 shelters, a cluster with 142 shelters was built at Heather Kinross Rotary Shelter Village, benefitting 570 homeless people.

Apart from the Matching Grants, in 2008, RC Hamilton and other Rotary Clubs of District 9600, Australia, also came forward to support the battered people of Bangladesh. From their contribution of $165,004, 83 shelters were built at Heather Kinross Rotary Shelter Village. “This project, initiated to honour and celebrate PRIP Glen Kinross’s 10 years of service after his presidential year (1997–98) was titled ‘Glen Kinross 10th Anniversary Rotary Shelter Bangladesh’. These shelters were built under the direct supervision of RC Narayanganj Midtown, D 3281, Bangladesh,” said PDG Jamaluddin.

RB

Low-cost shelters back in global grants

A

t their September 2016 meeting, TRF Trustees approved the inclusion of low cost shelters and simple schools in global grants.

Beginning January 1, 2017, as a three-year pilot project, construction of low-cost shelters and simple schools will be permitted in global grants. The RI general secretary is developing guidelines for these projects and detailed guidelines will be released before 1 January 2017 as part of a general communication campaign to alert clubs and districts about the eligibility of low cost shelters and schools.

But a TRF communication clarifies that “construction of these items, by themselves, are not eligible for global grant funding. Any of these projects approved after 1 January 2017 must be a means toward an end within the areas of focus.

For example, low-cost shelters will be eligible for global grant funding provided they are part of a comprehensive plan to help lift families out of poverty.” This plan might include

vocational training and assistance in job placement, so the project can be successful in helping these families, “as opposed to potentially creating a slum”.

Expressing concern at a recent UNESCO study showing that around 250 million children are not learning basic skills, even though half of them have spent at least four years in school, the Trustees have made it clear that mere construction of a school or putting up building will not make the project eligible under a global grant. It will qualify “only if it is part of a larger, more comprehensive effort to educate children. A building by itself cannot do that; it must have teachers who are trained in effective pedagogical methods. Global grants that include the construction of a school might therefore have an agreement with the government to staff the school and provide curriculums along with training for the teachers on how to use them. The quality of instruction matters!”

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 25

room cost about Rs 1.5 lakh, and the money came from TRF through three matching grants,” says PDG Mohan Shah, who was roped into the Trust and rebuilding work. As an erstwhile Congress legislator, he had excellent connections across political parties, particularly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who soon became Gujarat CM, even as the reconstruction work started and progressed.

But the task ahead was tough. The first challenge was safeguarding the building material; times were so bad that building material such as bricks, cement, steel etc, would disappear in the night. “We kept different contractors in each taluka… and I told my Congress workers that watching all this work and material is your responsibility. We had different contractors in different places, and built 1,000 houses in Kutch.”

He adds that incoming DG Bharat Dholakia played a big role in this work; “PRIPs Kalyan and Raja Saboo took him everywhere

as a “homeless governor” and that got a lot of donations because people really empathised with his personal experience.”

Adds Dholakia, “We worked relentlessly; if Mohanbhai, went to the east, I’d go to the west. Once I accompanied PRID Sushil Gupta to a village. I was seeing it for the first time. I didn’t even know Kutch had such a village!”

An intriguing visitor An interesting anecdote pertains to the visit of PDG David Fowler, an architect from London. “On his request, we took him to a house in a village, and as it is only a one room, kitchen, bath and toilet, Mohan (Shah) and I waited outside, also because we didn’t want to influence him in any way,” says Dholakia.

They were flummoxed when he didn’t come out for two hours and wondered what he was doing inside.

Finally he came out and said he was taking pictures. “At dinner he presented us with a CD containing 200 photographs!”

Shah recalls how at RI, there were serious doubts and misgivings about what exactly Rotary was doing in Gujarat. “We spent only Rs 60,000 on each house and they said that with this kind of money, you can only build a slum, but we proved them wrong.”

He explains that Rotary was able to pull off this feat with this modest sum per house “because our administration cost was only one per cent.

Around 168 NGOs worked here after the earthquake; we were one of the biggest. The average administration cost of the NGOs was 11 per cent,

A class in progress in Nirona village.

with one of them going up to 32 per cent.”

The Rotarians who worked hard for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Bhuj travelled at their own cost, if overnight accommodation was required, it was at Shah’s house.

“The difference was that many of us were personally affected and could understand better the pain and suffering that people experienced here,” he adds. Dholakia moved to his sister’s house in Mumbai, while his house had to be rebuilt.

So what was the response of the recipients, I ask Dholakia. “Oh, they were happy, but always wanted more.

The schools we built wanted fans; such a demand was made when TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta was visiting one school. He immediately donated fans to that school. Next they said we want computers… the demands kept coming.”

thieves come here at night. This is a Rotary colony, so you have to give us a watchman! But we are happy that we built schools at places that were so much in the interior that no other NGO was willing to go there.”

At Padhar village, with a population of around 3,500 and about 17 km from Bhuj, we drive to one such “Rotary Colony”… there are a row of Rotary houses, modest but robust. In one of them we find Manoj Kumar and Rinku Devi, who have rented the house from the original owner. Manoj Kumar works in a private factory; they have two children and they find the house “comfortable”.

You know what it takes to build just one house. Just imagine what it would take to build 1,000 homes and 781 schools in 181 villages.

“Rotary colony” Shah adds that those who got homes started asking “for a watchman, saying

PDG Bharat Dholakia

Most of the houses look similar, and all of them have the ‘Rotary’ logo on them. But one particular house stands out… it is freshly painted and looks spanking new. Rama, the owner, welcomes us into her home. Her husband Bharat, who runs a readymade garments business in Mumbai, bought this house a few years ago and “we’ve spent Rs 4 lakh to renovate it.” It has tiled flooring, and is well furnished.

But more than anything else, Rama, who lives in the house with her two little sons, while Bharat is away in Mumbai, is very happy that “this is a safe locality”.

We go on to her terrace and Shah points out the Rotary logos on all the houses in the street.

As he looks back at the herculean effort the RGERT and local Rotarians made during Kutch’s rehabilitation, he says quietly, “Courage and confidence was the slogan of our District; I believe you have to be always ready to do what it takes. And we did it…"

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh S DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 27

Of felicitation & nostalgia Rasheeda Bhagat

I

f The Rotary Foundation could set a cheeky target of raising $300 million during this, its Centennial year, it is because today “Rotary is bigger, better and bolder than ever before,” said its Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee at a felicitation meet organised by the seven Rotary clubs of Vadodara to felicitate him.

Disclosing how he had fixed the target at $300 million, and describing how there was initial reluctance to accept this challenging figure, he said, “I had a hard time convincing everybody. The staff and then the former Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith were

all doubtful we could reach this figure.

He had raised around $230 million and raising another $65–70 million above this mark was not easy. Incoming RI President John Germ had said: ‘Ok, Kalyan, you can take the chance if you wish! I will do all I can to support you.’”

Trustee Sakuji Tanaka, who was supposed to succeed Banerjee, was on board; he “never says no”. Unfortunately, he had to step aside from the Trustee Chair position due to both his wife and daughter facing some health problems. Trustee Paul Netzel was chosen to succeed. Paul is an American

fundraiser and expert at this task. It required two breakfast meetings with him and he came on board and said: ‘Yes, we can have the target of $300 million! Let’s go for it!’”

Banerjee said he was heartened to find the “greatest enthusiasm coming from India”, from where the target is to raise $26.5 million during this year, no easy task by any means. And, he was most pleasantly surprised by the gung-ho attitude of the District Governors. “I thought they might say yeh kaha phas gaye, (we’ve got trapped), this target will break our backs, empty our pockets and loot our banks... all of

From left: DGN Pinky Patel, TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, RI Director Manoj Desai, PDG Jatin Bhatt.

28 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Kaha gaye woh din

it together! But leaders like DG (3060) Hitesh Jariwala and RID Manoj Desai, as well as all other Governors, are doing the work and they seem to be happy doing it. They are doing their best.”

The Trustee Chair was confident that “worldwide too it will happen, but all of you need to come to Atlanta to see it happen. Jet Airways will give you a 10 per cent discount.” Urging Indian Rotarians to register for

From left: TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, RI Director Manoj Desai and Sharmishtha Desai.

The target of registrations from India to the Atlanta Convention was 1,300 but till October end, the registrations had crossed 3,300!

T

rustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee said attending a District 3060 event was like returning home.

He knew most of the people in the audience by first name; “Many present here are the people I’ve grown up with, and grown old with, in Rotary.” Pointing to PDG Jatin Bhatt he recalled the day “the two of us had spent a whole night in Mumbai eating chocolate and drinking what I won’t tell you. But I can tell you that for some reason Jatin kept laughing all the time!”

Striking a nostalgic note, he said: “.DKD JD\H ZRK GLQ when I met Manoj (Desai) for the first time. He was my aide at the then District 306 conference in Udaipur; that is the time I fell off the stage. Himanshu was the DG and he made me open a door, not expecting me to go beyond the door. I did… he hadn’t told me there was nothing beyond the door, and fell 10 ft in. I’m glad I didn’t break my leg.” “.DKD JD\H ZRK GLQ of the conference in Baroda where Fateh Singh Rao Gaekwad was the chief guest and the late Adel Adaljee from Nagpur was the RI representative. Adaljeebhai became the first Paul Harris Fellow of our district. We are

now mostly talking about Arch Klumph Society only, but in those days becoming a PHF meant giving out only Rs 8,000.

So those who missed out being a Paul Harris Fellow missed out a lot, I can tell you that! .DKD JD\H ZRK GLQ when I was fighting my District elections for the first and only time. I fought a DG election only once, and somehow made it the first time.”

Those were the days that “really got us hooked to Rotary, that made us enjoy and love Rotary. Times have changed and so has Rotary. Governors can today hold two District conferences in the same year, one after another as our District did last year… this is one of a kind in the whole world. This was done because the registrations were too high.”

Banerjee added, “The other day it struck me with some force that I was pushing the age of 74.

While smart people may talk endlessly about how you are old as you feel and not as old as the calendar shows, let me tell you that this is all okay for making speeches and fooling people. But in real life, real time, your arthritis or you blood pressure will tell you exactly how old you are!”

Atlanta, he disclosed that the target of registrations from India was 1,300 but till October end, the registrations had crossed 3,300!

Congratulating Pinky Patel, the DGN for becoming the first woman DG from D 3060, Banerjee said, “Our district is very special in many ways; we are very quiet, don’t make much noise but some of the things we do are really unique.” He apologised for his inability to come that morning to inaugurate RC Baroda Metro’s art exhibition featuring nine navaratnas from the MS University. “As they say, man proposes and god disposes and wife refuses. As Manoj said earlier, my better half (Binota) has been having some health issues in recent times and she hopefully will be on her feet again pretty soon but till then my programme remains uncertain. Binota is a fighter, and wins many fights… particularly the fights she has with me. So she should win this one also.”

Revealing that he always had a weakness for art, Banerjee recalled that as a young engineer in United Phosphorous, when he was getting a salary of only Rs 1,000, he had bought his first painting spending Rs 300. “I used to spend good money in those days buying art and I am glad I did that because I can’t afford such works today, considering how much they cost.”

He had a special word of appreciation for RID Desai; “I know how hard

In those days becoming a PHF meant giving out only Rs 8,000. So those who missed out being a Paul Harris Fellow missed out a lot!

TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee

30 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

From right: TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, D 3260 DG Hitesh Jariwala and Sharmishtha Desai.

you have worked last year, trying to get things right in India. I don’t know if you have told this to your club but everyone used to be scared of Manoj… if he comes, they run away. He was always known for getting things done properly… getting them done right, bringing in discipline and integrity into the whole system.”

Addressing the meet, Desai said when people “ask me how can you keep such a hectic schedule I tell them I have learnt it from one man, and in India nobody asks me who… they all know it is Kalyanda.” But, he added, in reality more than Banerjee, his real mentor was Binota Banerjee.

When he became DG, Banerjee was the RI Director (1995–97) and “he was too busy. He could attend neither my Assembly or the district conference.

But she came for both and conveyed the message ki ladka achcha kaam kar raha hei! (The lad is doing good work).” Before going to an important trip to Bhavnagar he called her and asked for a slogan and she said “Never expect anything”.

President of RC Baroda Metro Sonal Desai said that as a revered Rotarian

from their own District had become the Foundation Trustee Chair, we “thought the city’s clubs should honour him and make a contribution to TRF.” With every Rotarian from Vadodara city contributing Rs 1,000, a cheque for Rs 3.35 lakh was handed over to Banerjee for TRF. The felicitation was organised

by RCs Baroda, Jawaharnagar, Metro, Sayajinagar, Cosmopolitan, Kalanagari and Sunrise, and along with Sonal, the other six Presidents — Sharad Modi (Baroda), Bhupendra Juneja (Jawaharnagar), Shreyansh Mehta (Sayajinagri), Beenit Tanna (Cosmo), Anil Jain (Kalanagri) and Narendra Tiwari (Sunrise) — presented the cheque to Banerjee.

RID Desai announced that the Baroda Rotary Humanitarian Foundation was handing over a $10,000 cheque for the Kalyan Banerjee Endowment Fund started in 1997–98.

“We started with $25,000 and it has now grown to $47,000 and the interest income has started coming. As a mark of honour we would like to contribute $10,000 towards that Endowment today.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

District Wise TRF Contributions as on October 2016 (in US Dollars)

District Number

APF

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

Total Endowment Contributions Fund

WHERE WILL ROTARY GLOBAL REWARDS TAKE YOU?

India 2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3110 3120 3131 3132 3141 3142 3150 3160 3170 3181 3182 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3291 India Total 3220 Sri Lanka 3271 Pakistan 3272 3281 Bangladesh 3282 Nepal 3292 South Asia Total World Total

57,757 4,202 51,312 34,662 1,08,165 8,374 9,055 30 4,434 (26,925) 200 31,261 36,300 10,638 11,642 17,354 1,417 69,501 23,386 1,89,399 56,656 53,389 13,299 21,609 40,356 3,735 (9,722) 18,798 3,224 11,063 4,184 67,482 50,634 6,604 6,430 55,506 20,467 1,065,876 35,508 6,139 46,087 60,057 18,292 32,385 12,64,344 3,07,23,782

1,349 872 0 224 1,010 187 0 0 0 0 0 0 569 3,662 0 3,601 0 6,807 629 10,725 0 3,729 455 972 0 522 (13,606) 224 200 0 1,200 101 617 0 0 3,373 0 27,422 25 5,312 9,662 4,050 0 1,000 47,470 60,98,003

0 0 0 1,493 1,000 0 31,448 (500) 0 26,925 0 14,706 0 32,271 0 0 0 74,779 11,025 1,19,185 5,250 26,241 0 1,960 0 0 31,218 1,015 0 0 0 5,250 0 722 0 26,750 28,946 4,39,683 0 0 0 4,100 0 27,745 4,71,527 33,96,517

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. * Does not include contribution of Mrs Rajashree Birla ($1,000,000)

0 0 50,000 0 0 50,000 8,500 0 0 0 0 11,500 0 3,000 0 0 0 8,955 0 2,640 0 52,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,000 8,500 2,866 0 0 2,000 0 2,00,961 11,043 100 1,000 1,100 1,000 0 2,15,204 60,25,818

59,107 5,074 1,01,312 36,378 1,10,176 58,561 49,002 (470) 4,434 0 200 57,467 36,868 49,571 11,642 20,955 1,417 1,60,041 35,041 3,21,949 61,906 1,35,358 13,754 24,540 40,356 4,258 7,890 20,037 3,424 11,063 6,384 81,333 54,117 7,325 6,430 87,629 49,412 17,33,941 46,577 11,551 56,748 69,307 19,292 61,129 19,98,545 4,62,44,122

Source: RI South Asia Office

THE MEMBER BENEFIT PROGRAMME THAT OPENS UP A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES.

SEE MORE AT ROTARY.ORG/ GLOBALREWARDS

2017 Institute at Kuala Lumpur Rasheeda Bhagat The luxurious Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa in the Malaysian capital will host RIDE C Basker’s first Institute from December 1–3, 2017.

W

hen Rotary News got the invite for the “First Committee Meet” of the 2017 Zone Institute in Chennai, I didn’t expect the “committee” to have around 180 members. But that was about the size of the Committee RIDE C Basker has put together to host his first Institute in Malaysia. The RI officers — past, present and future — were all there, from past and current RRFCs, RCs, RPICs, and EMGAs, to past, current, incoming and future DGs. At the outset, Basker said that just as the theme of his Institute — Unite to Serve — denoted, he will strive to ensure both in spirit and practise, that there would be no “groups” within Rotary in India.

“In every zone or country, there are groups. But we have decided that our 32 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

main focus not only for the Institute, but the next couple of years too, is to unite and serve, as our tagline says.

If a person can perform, he/she will definitely be given an opportunity.

We’d like to make use of everybody’s talent.”

He said all the people in the hall had “great experience and exposure to make the 2017 Institute a meaningful one for everyone. You’ve been chosen because of the dedication you’ve shown in whatever tasks you have undertaken so far. For the years 2017–19, I request each of you to join me in the journey to strengthen Rotary and build a better image of India in the international arena.”

He said initially he had tried to zero in on Bengaluru for his Institute, “but because Rotary has grown so well

in India, and the districts are increasing the number of RI officers — I expect 800–900 delegates in Kuala Lumpur — the logistical challenges of putting up people in different hotels, transporting them to the venue, etc, were daunting.” But the Malaysian resort chosen had 1,200 rooms in its towers, of which 250 in one and 150 in another has already been blocked.

He particularly thanked the participants from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh who had honoured his invitation to attend this meet.

PDG R Theenachandran, Chairman of the 2017 Institute, said the Sunway Resort was 35 minutes from the airport, and 25 minutes away from the city of Kuala Lumpur — “it is in between the airport and the city and has all the facilities such as

RIDE C Basker addressing the Institute Committee. Also on the dais (from left) PDG L Narayanaswamy, PDG R Theenachandran, PRID P T Prabhakar and PDG Deepak Shikarpur.

18 restaurants, a huge food court, 900 stores in the mega shopping mall, a theme park with exciting rides… all of this is interconnected and you have to walk just 300 metres from any one point to another.”

S Registration: Rs 32,000 per person Single occupancy: Rs 41,000 Extra night: Rs 9,000 (Room + Breakfast)

haring his experience from his own Institute in 2014 — Sail to Serve — of which Basker was the Chairman, PRID P T Prabhakar said he was “amazed to find 180 people participating in this meeting. For my Institute, I had just shared with Basker the concept of having the Institute in a cruise, and by sheer dint of hard work combined with business efficiency, he produced one of the

RIDE Basker, Vasanthi Theenachandran, PDG S Rajendran, PDG Deepak Shikarpur and PRID P T Prabhakar celebrate PDG Theenachandran's birthday.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 33

Aerial view of Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Malaysia.

finest Institutes. Between the day we opened the registration and the day we boarded the ship, the Indian rupee had depreciated by 25 per cent. But the shrewd businessman that he is, he had fixed up with Cox and Kings that all payments would be made in Indian rupees and we did not suffer any monetary loss.”

He recalled that when the entire group alighted in Phuket, “he had organised 14 Mercedes Benz cars for the senior leaders, and buses for others. And he was the last person to come on the last bus back to the ship because all our passports were on the ship and anyone left behind would have been doomed.”

PDG L Narayanaswamy, Treasurer of the Institute, said the registration fee before December 31 is Rs 32,000 per person on a twin room sharing basis and Rs 41,000 for single occupancy. The fee included six meals, airport transfers, fellowship and dinner, and of this Rs 25,000 34 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

was to be paid to Cox and Kings and Rs 7,000 to the Institute Chairman.

The charges for various seminars and TRF Dinner ranged between Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000.

Theenachandran added that most of the flights came into Kuala Lumpur city early morning, but if the flight timing was not suitable, delegates might have to come in on November 30. Each extra day — prior to or after the Institute — would cost Rs 9,000 per room and would include only breakfast. “We’ve also chosen this destination as the flights are relatively cheap from any Indian city and several airlines fly to Malaysia,” he added.

B

asker explained that the 400 rooms already booked were of different class, but the early birds would get the better category accommodation, and urged people present in the hall to register at the earliest. “Malaysia

is no longer cheap and food is quite expensive and we had to negotiate hard; but I can tell you we have got great rates.” Sim cards would be available in the arrival kits — the Institute kit, by consensus in the hall, will be delivered in India.

As Basker asked for suggestions from everybody and took quick decisions on what was feasible, what was not, and what could be considered, many participants welcomed his initiative and said this was the first time such a participatory meet was being held for an Institute and that too so early.

There are 18 committees to handle various aspects of the Institute; while food lovers were urged not to miss this Institute, particularly because Malaysia has an exciting range of food and fruits to offer, it was assured that “the best whiskeys, and innovative cocktails and mocktails would be available during fellowship!”

Pictures: Rasheeda Bhagat

Rotary celebrates

Polio Free India Team Rotary News

School students performing the human image of 'Polio Free India'.

O

ver 6,000 school students created a mega human image of ‘Polio Free India’ at the Hindu College, New Delhi, on October 24, the World Polio Day. The event was part of the celebrations organised by India National PolioPlus Committee (INPPC) along with RI Districts 3011 and 3012.

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, PRID and World Polio Day Celebrations Chair Ashok Mahajan, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, DGs N Subramanian and Sharat Jain, INPPC Chair Deepak Kapur, and representatives from WHO and Unicef participated in the programme, with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Secretary C K Mishra as the Chief Guest and WHO Representative to India Dr Henk Bekedam the Guest of Honour.

The day highlighted the global progress made against the disease which at its peak crippled over 1,000 children a day and now reduced to less than 50 cases a year, and Rotary’s commitment to eradicate it completely.

A panel discussion with PRIP Saboo, Dr Pankaj Bhatnagar, WHO, Dr M K Agarwal, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was aired live on the Doordarshan channel.

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, PRID Ashok Mahajan, INPPC Chair Deepak Kapur, DGs Sharat Jain and N Subramanian and other Rotarians with school students.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 35

Honouring Baroda’s Jewels Rasheeda Bhagat

I

had joined the Faculty of Fine Arts at the MS University in Vadodara when (N S) Bendre Sir and Mani Sir (K G Subramanyam) were teaching. I had the good fortune to be trained by them. We got to see first-hand the way they approached art.

In hindsight, I can clearly see who they were. Now I believe that Bendre Sir

was a minimalist in both his speech and work,” recalls Aruna Tomar.

Interacting with Rotary News on the occasion of the Rotary Art Festival organised by RC Baroda Metro, D 3060, to honour the nine “Jewels of Baroda”, including N S Bendre and K G Subramanyam who passed away in July this year, she recalls how

Bendre wouldn’t say much as he walked around the room when the students were painting. “He used to go around all the students with his hands held at his back, would see, examine, each and every painting and comment ‘good’, ‘bad’, and sometimes when he felt that we were overdoing something, he would say: ‘Good, but stop’!”

Rajmata of Baroda Shubhangini Devi inaugurating the Rotary Art Festival in the presence of RID Manoj Desai and Sharmishtha, DG Hitesh Jariwala and organiser Alok Desai (extreme left).

36 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Vivid in the memory of Aruna, who went on to become a teacher at the Fine Arts Department of the MS University, is the day there was a demonstration of life study… making plaster casts.

“There was a human ear in a plaster cast. We were doing our small numerous strokes and making the ear, some in oil, some in charcoal. Bendre Sir was going around the room and suddenly he put up a canvas, picked up somebody’s brush and paint, and with just a few strokes made an ear! I still remember it so clearly; 50 years have gone by but it is still fresh in my memory how the ear came to life with a few big strokes on his canvas.”

The same was true of Sankho Chaudhury, she adds. In their sculpture calluses in first year, “he would demonstrate for us. I distinctly remember the

day when he picked up a lump of clay and in no time made a work of art from it; it was so amazing to watch him. But both of them were very different personalities. Shanku Sir was talkative, Bendre Sir was very taciturn but very involved with the students and he had the vision and acumen to spot quickly who had what ability,” she adds.

T

he hall at the MS University hosting works by 19 artists from Vadodara is buzzing with activity. Rotarians dressed in Red tee-shirts, salwars and sarees denoting members of RC Baroda Metro are busy putting the final touches to the exhibition showcasing works from 19 artists including the nine jewels of Baroda, all Padma awardees — N S Bendre, Sankho Chaudhury; K G Subramanyam, G R Santosh, Gulam Mohammad Sheikh, Bhupendra Khakar, Shanti Dave, Haku Shah and Lakshma Goud.

President of the club Sonal Desai explains that when they were brainstorming on “how we should do

something special to mark the Centennial of the Rotary Foundation, we hit upon this idea. Not too many people, even in Vadodara, know that the Fine Arts department of the MS University has produced nine Padma awardees.”

Adds her husband and Event Chair Alok Desai, “So what better way to celebrate the TRF centenary than by hosting such an event, selling the paintings given by other artists, mainly the students and disciples of these nine greats, while also displaying the works of the nine masters, lent for the event either by the University or some galleries.”

By the sale of the paintings — among the generous patrons were

I believe that Bendre Sir was a minimalist in both his speech and work.

Aruna Tomar A Baroda artist

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 37

From left: DGN Pinky Patel, Sonal Desai, Sharmishtha Desai, DG Hitesh and Bhishma Jariwala and Kalpa Rachh.

RI Director Manoj Desai and spouse Sharmishtha — the club hopes to donate Rs 15 lakh to TRF.

S

achin Kaluskar, curator of the exhibition, said that thanks to the firm roots given by the masters to this Fine Arts Department, “today it is considered among the best in the country.” He explains that the department was started in a small bungalow with a few students soon after Independence. “That time they were clearly told by the Chancellor: Make yourselves free from all the shackles, we have achieved Independence, so let your art also not have any shackles. He said let’s not imitate foreign ideas and values all the time, and

At least art has a market today.

There was a time when young artists were worried about how to get petrol for their vehicles!

Sculptor Nagji Patel

38 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

as we have such a rich tradition, let us create something new.’

The students and the faculty reiterate that even today, the first thing taught here is: ‘You should think freely. You can ask why should the sky be always blue; why not pink or green?’ The faculty spearheaded what was known as the Baroda movement. “It was not as successful as the Progressive Artists group from Mumbai, but it managed to produce many art historians, artists, research scholars and several art directors in ad agencies studied applied arts at the MS University,” he adds.

The exhibition, inaugurated by the Rajmata of Baroda Shubhangini Devi, created quite a ripple in the city, not the least because the Rotarians thought of novel ways to publicise it through small radio clips, etc.

Participating in the event, RID Desai said, “What is crucial in Rotary today is that either innovate or evaporate. I’ve always encouraged my club members to think beyond the box. We did two villages after the Bhuj earthquake, you saw the project in the village Katarvad (Rotary News, December, 2015); last year we had 6,100 schoolchildren making Gandhiji’s face, without even a rehearsal, and now this. It

is not easy to bring so many artists on one platform, get the galleries to lend the paintings of senior artists, but Alok, Sonal and their team did it.”

D 3060 DG Hitesh Jariwala, DGE Ruchir Jani and DGN Pinky Patel participated.

For art lovers the paintings on offer were a visual treat. Artist Ratan Parimoo, who came to study art at the MS University in 1951, recalled how his first teacher was NS Bendre. “Many of us, including Jyoti Bhatt, are his students. He was a master of so many techniques and he would demonstrate, in great excitement, his stills or other works. One of the paintings of Bendre in the exhibition is a demonstration in the cubistic approach. It is wonderful that Rotary has taken this initiative to honour these artists… and got other artists to pay a tribute to these nationally recognised masters. Such a thing has never happened before.”

On the resurgence of art in India and people buying art as investment, Sculptor Nagji Patel says, “At least art has a market today. There was a time when young artists were worried about how to get petrol for their vehicles!”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

Rotarians groom students V Muthukumaran

T

he Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Mumbai jointly organised Udaan Icon 2016, an exclusive two-day meet for school children.

The event, held at Jaihind College and ­Bhaidas auditorium in the metro, was executed by RI District 3141 with a team comprising Avenue Chair (Youth Services) Hussain Rassai, District ­Rotaract Representative Rohan Dalmia, Convener Gool Ghadially and co-convener Dipshika Srivastav, among others.

The Interact District Conference offered a platform for students to hone their skills in personality development, public speaking, nurture confidence and above all, groomed them to be team players. Giving a perspective of this two-day jamboree, Rassai said, “In the history of Rotary clubs in Mumbai, this

Interactors conference was a first of its kind to showcase their talent in fine arts, literary and management fields.”

The lead club, RC Mumbai Juhu, was supported by Rotary Clubs of Bombay, Bombay West, Bombay Pier, Bombay Cuffe Parade, Bombay North, Bombay Seaface, Bombay Kandivli, Bombay Airport, Bombay Queen City and the Rotaract clubs.

Following the inauguration by DG Gopal Rai Mandhania, the stage was set for film star Boman Irani to regale the audience with a humorous speech in his inimitable style filled with witty anecdotes. “Irani gave an inspirational talk that was both focused and hilarious. The feedback we got from the schools was encouraging. We will make the Interactors event an annual

feature attracting students from in and around Mumbai,” said Rassai. Around 900 students from 60 schools across Mumbai participated in the meet.

A rotating trophy was instituted. In the maiden event, MVM School bagged the trophy. “We want to make the Interact Conference a memorable one for city schools and to this end, the Udaan Icon trophy will be the most sought after prize among students,” he added.

Including the differently-abled As an extension of the programme, RC Bombay West and Rotaract Club of Mithibai had a similar event for paraplegic children with special needs at Bhaidas auditorium. Not deterred by physical constraints, they put up a grand show with a competitive spirit.

DECEMBER 2016 ROTARY NEWS 39

K_Rotarians make students soar.indd 39

11/25/2016 4:53:21 PM

Better awareness of

Rotary Peace programme needed Rasheeda Bhagat Everything you wanted to know about the Rotary peace programme.

4400 ROT ROTARY R RO OTA OT ARY AR R RYY N NE NEWS EWS WS DECEMBER DEC D EC CEMB EMB M ER R 2016 20 2201 016 0

T

his year only three of the 28 applicants from India were selected for admission to Rotary’s Peace Centres, located in six universities across the world. If India could manage only this abysmally low figure of successful candidates — after all 100 scholarships are given every year under Rotary’s peace programme — it was not for want of suitable candidates. “We had applications from some outstanding candidates in terms of qualifications.

But unfortunately their applications, including the essay, were not ‘strong’ or well written,” says PDG Gulam Vahanvaty, the only Indian on the Rotary Peace Centres Committee.

Every year Rotary sponsors 100 scholars for its peace programmes at the six Rotary Peace Centres located across the world; the Duke University and University of North Carolina, US; International Christian University, Japan; University of Bradford, England; University of Queensland, Australia; Uppsala University, Sweden and a certificate programme at the Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Vahanvaty, a former RRFC, is himself a beneficiary of Rotary scholarship and exchange programme. In 1978, he was selected as a member of TRF’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team from the then District 314 and went to Indiana, USA. “It was a life enhancing experience, one which made me want to join Rotary,” he says.

The mandate of the Rotary Peace Centres Committee is to select candidates and serve as liaison between Rotary and the universities that host the Peace Centres in order to monitor and evaluate the programme’s outcome.

As the world faces increasing conflict in more and more countries, Rotary’s peace programme has never been as relevant as now. This programme was started in 2002; “the Ambassadorial scholarships were there earlier but it was difficult to gauge what long-term Sitting (from Left): Steven Nakana (Alumni Advisor), PRID and Current Vice Chairman of Trustees Ken Schuppert, PRID Anne Mathews (Vice Chairman), PDG Peter Kyle (Chairman), RID Jerry Meigs, Maria Saifuddin (Academic Advisor).

Standing (From left): PDG Gulam Vahanvaty, PRID John Blount, PDG Duane Sterling, PDG Mohamed Delawar, PDG Juan Arbocco, PDG Carol Fellows, PRID Mark Maloney and PRID Jackson Hsieh.

To get more successful candidates from India, we need our district governors to get proactive and promote the programme.

impact they would make on the world and the same was true of the GSE. So the Trustees said why not have a dedicated programme for promoting the concept of peace in the world,” says Vahanvaty.

He explains that the peace programme falls into two slots — short and long term. While the latter can vary from 15–24 months, the former are of just three-four months duration. Both the programmes need work experience.

The certificate programme at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok is dedicated to the 3–4 month course meant for students with greater work experience. While the average age of a long-term fellow is around 30, that of a short-term person is around 40, but the latter would need more than a decade of experience.

Candidates The Peace Fellows study subjects related to the root causes of conflict and explore innovative solutions to address real-world needs. Candidates come from police or armed forces, Governments, voluntary sector or lawyers dedicated to human rights, and so on. “The idea behind this programme is how do you hone your skills theoretically to apply the benefits of that knowledge on your day-to-day work. For example, two years ago we had an Additional Police Commissioner from Mumbai who went for the short-term course.” Maharashtra’s DGP Praveen Dixit, who retired earlier this year, was the first batch scholar from the American centre to graduate DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 41

Maharashtra’s DGP Praveen Dixit, who retired earlier WKLV \HDU ZDV WKH ¿UVW EDWFK scholar in 2002–04 from the American centre.

in 2004. He later moved up the ranks to become DGP. On whether the Rotary Peace Fellows keep in touch with Rotary, Vahanvaty says, “We have a tremendously strong connect with the alumni.� Thanks to his earlier appointment as Chairman of TRF’s Alumni Advisory Committee for two terms, he has interacted closely with TRF alumni, including the Peace Fellows.

As for qualifications, the candidate can be from any stream, “but the work experience is very important, and how he or she is related to the field of peace.

This year we’ve got a candidate from Syria who has actually worked in a refugee camp. We’ve had several peace scholars who’ve worked in Palestinian refugee camps. Interestingly, this year a visually challenged candidate from Afghanistan had applied. “His story brings tears in your eyes. Both the committee members and the universities said he should be selected but they were not sure if the course content was equipped for a visually challenged person. But one of the centres is confident of taking him next year; they are very keen that such people get into these courses,� says Vahanvaty.

Funding On how much the Rotary Peace programme costs TRF, he says the 100 scholars sponsored by Rotary at these Peace Centres cost about $4.7 million a year; add to this the funding to the Peace Centres and the annual cost goes up to $5.3 million. When the project 42 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 20166

was started in 2002, it was thought a corpus of $100 million should be raised. But soon it was realised this money would be inadequate and “the target has been revised to $150 million, which we hope to achieve by June 2017,� he says. In the corpus, Harshad Mehta, a diamond merchant from Mumbai/Dubai alone has given $400,000 for this programme. For the long-term courses each candidate costs the TRF $75,000, and the short-term students $12,000.

There were a record number of 541 applications this year. Apart from the final selection of the peace scholars, the Committee, which is chaired by PDG Peter Kyle, has senior Rotarians such as RID Jerry Meigs, Vice Chair of Trustees Ken Schuppert, Anne Mathews (Vice Chairman), John Blount, Mark Maloney and Jackson Hsieh as its members and is also involved in the planning of where this programme is going to be in the future. A special high powered committee liases with the Rotary Peace Centres Committee “to ensure that we are going in the right direction, do we need another centre, etc. I’ve been very strongly advocating that we

need a new Peace Centre in a country with a significant Muslim population as that part of the world is seeing a lot of conflict and violence,� says Vahanvaty.

He is also concerned that there are hardly any candidates coming from strife torn regions such as the Middle East and North Africa.

Districts should be proactive But along with poor representation from the Middle East and North Africa, Vahanvaty was sorry to find only three candidates from India making it to the final selection. And not for want of qualifications; many applicants were very strong on that count. But where they lost out was in the way the application and the essay were written. “If you had read the applications from those who were selected, you’d say wow, and give them 10 on 10! But it was evident that they had been coached.�

Vahanvaty says unfortunately there is poor awareness in India that Rotary gives such peace scholarships. “The application has to be signed by the District Committee and then the DG. Unfortunately, I got calls from candidates this year saying they were finding

it difficult to reach the DGs. To get more successful candidates from India, we need our district governors to get proactive and promote the programme.

I am prepared to come to any forum and speak about it because I think it is important, and we are missing out on an excellent opportunity,� he says.

The importance of a well-written application is paramount because the candidates are not interviewed. “We simply can’t afford to call them, as they are from across the world. There also needs to be a mentoring system.�

D 3141 has a good mentor for aspiring peace scholars in Rajendra Ruia, who knows this programme well; “he can be a role model for other districts.�

Gender mix On the gender mix, Vahanvaty says they get an equal number of applications from men and women; while 60 percent of women are selected for the

long-term course, in the shorter course the ratio is 50:50. “We find some amazing women applicants and scholars‌ outstanding, gutsy women who have faced and fought childhood battles, have seen refugees being ill treated. In the past D 3240 (Assam) always had candidates selected for peace scholarships and for the long-term courses. Some of those scholars have started their own centres for peace and conflict resolution and have done some tremendous work.â€?

The peace scholars are one of Rotary’s big success stories. Today there are around 1,000-odd Rotary peace scholars across the world and “they are making a difference in the UN, the World Bank, several NGOs, governments, etc.�

So is Rotary trying to get them to Atlanta where a peace seminar will be held? “Of course, we’d like to have as many of our scholars there as possible but the difficulty is that the Fellows

We have some outstanding, gutsy women who have faced and fought FKLOGKRRG EDWWOHV KDYH VHHQ UHIXJHV EHHQ LOO treated and have worked in refugee camps.

themselves cannot fund their travel and accommodation which is expensive.�

But the Trustees are examining ways to set aside a budget. “They always make a huge impact; when they speak, people’s pocketbooks open up and we are now able to say anecdotally‌ we don’t have exact figures‌ that the money came because they spoke. But the problem is getting them there.â€? „

Rotary promotes talent at Gaya Team Rotary News

R

otary Club of Gaya, D 3250, in association with The Gaya Rotary Charitable Trust, has been organising the Rotary Yuva Mahotsav since 2011. Initially begun with schools of Bihar State only, the two-day programme soon included schools of Jharkhand too. Competitions are held in cultural events and sports in various venues across Gaya.

This year’s Mahotsav which was inaugurated by DG Ramachandran Bharat and chaired by Amrender Pratap Singh had around 450 participants from 29 schools from the two States. “The competition seems to be getting tougher year after year; the students are exhibiting extraordinary talent and creativity in all the events,� said Chief Event Coordinator Sanjay K Varma. “We look forward to the Rotary Mahotsav every year. We love

the camaraderie and the healthy competition and of course, we learn something new each year, which we share with our classmates back home,� says Sonali, a student from Jharkhand.

It was colours galore at Gaya with vibrant rangolis, creative paintings, lively dance performances and healthy debates. The Vice Chancellor of Magadh University Prof Istiyaque honoured the winners with the awards.„ DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 43

Meet your Governors Rasheeda Bhagat and Jaishree

Shattering his own goals Raman Aneja Textiles export, RC Panipat, D 3080

H

e joined Rotary in 2003–04 on an invitation from a friend; “my business was doing well and I wanted to do some social service,” says Raman Aneja.

He enjoyed the fellowship; but more than that what Rotary gave him were leadership and management skills. “Before I became president of my club in 2010–11, I used to do

everything on my own in my business. But my year as president gave me the invaluable lesson about team building and team work. I did 250 projects and was declared the best president of our district!”

Aneja has 75 clubs under him, and barely four months into his year as DG, “some of the goals I had in mind as governor have already been met, so I am revising my goals,” he grins.

He set off his priorities for the year saying the district should do many good projects; “after all Rotary is known by its projects and projects also increase our public image.”

The first of his projects was related to WinS; putting up 250 handwashing stations during the year. But this goal was achieved in the first three months and in Panipat alone; “so now we will be building 1,000 handwashing stations or more.” Similarly, he had thought of opening 100 E-learning centres; but this target has been met already, so the next target was set at 300. “But it looks as though we will surpass that number too.”

Next on the cards are two mega events; a celebration of the TRF Centennial to raise funds as well as the 25th Presidential year of PRIP Rajendra Saboo.

Aneja says his objective is also to bring together Rotary, Rotarians and Inner Wheel members. “To build synergy with youth, we are having a cricket match in Mohali, through which we plan to raise $100,000; each participating club is donating $1,100. This match will be played between Rotary and Rotaractors, and I have told the Rotarians that if you are falling short of players, you can buy Rotaractors at a fee, as is done in the IPL,” he adds.

Helping farmers his top priority

A

s a doctor, his first priority is to organise mega camps for diabetic detection. He is the first DG of the newly carved out District 3181, which has 67 clubs and over 3030 members. “I want each club to adopt one village in our district and transform it totally on all vital parameters such as health and sanitation, literacy and education, greenery, etc,” says R S Nagarjuna.

“But much more than anything else, I am asking my clubs to concentrate on helping farmers,” he adds.

He points out that Karnataka is one of the States that has been hit hard by agricultural crisis resulting in farmers’ suicides.

Most of the distress is related to farmers having little awareness or knowledge about marketing reality vis-à-vis their produce.

“We want to give them a thorough education and knowledge about the market. Only when they know what the market wants can a farmer earn a decent livelihood. So we will give farmers guidelines on what crops to grow, about rainwater harvesting and how to conserve water and use it optimally, as water shortage is a big problem in our region.”

Nagarjuna adds that this being the centennial year of the Foundation, he has planned the TRF Centennial Ride, which will cover the distance of 2,000 km from Mysore to Goa and back on two-wheelers from January 12–26. In this project a minimum number of 1,000 members will donate $1,000 to TRF, raising $100,000. “My target is to raise half a million dollars during the year; our combined District had given only $300,000 last year.”

He will also prioritise the next generation; “our District was always famous for its Rotaractor movement, but over the last three or four years, this movement has become rather weak.

I want to revitalise it.

R S Nagarjuna Paediatrician, RC Chamrajnagar, D 3181

Sarbjeet Singh ENT Surgeon RC Kapurthala Elite, D 3070

A smile from a beneficiary is his gift “Rotary has changed my way of life, in every possible way. If anybody asks me a question or wants something, I respond to it applying the 4-Way-Test,” says Sarbjeet Singh. A secondgeneration Rotarian, both he and his wife, Surjit Kaur, also a doctor, joined RC Kapurthala Elite when it was started in 2007 as a couples’ club, with 64 members and 32 couples. She is a past Inner Wheel chair from D 307.

Passionate about Rotary even before joining it, he says he used to accompany his father to Rotary meetings. Asked what he enjoys the most about Rotary, Singh says, “The fellowship that Rotary gives us is fine, but honestly what gives me the greatest joy is seeing a smile on the face of a beneficiary… I believe that the real essence of Rotary comes only from that.”

His priorities this year will be raising funds for the Foundation as well as increasing membership in the District with 110 clubs and over 3,200 members, concentrating on both youth and women to do so. As for TRF goal, he says his target is $150,000; “in our District there is not much giving; last year we raised $125,000, and the highest ever has been $214,000”. Both he and his wife are going to become Major Donors, and he is confident that he will not only meet his goal, but surpass it. “Or else I will put in the money myself,” he smiles.

Organ donation is his watchword

H John Daniel Educationist RC Quilon East, D 3211

e was on his way to inaugurate a toilet block built by RC Pangaserry in a school. While the District’s WinS target is 2,222 schools, it has already covered 1,800. “I hope to meet our goal

by December after which schools will get busy with their exams,” says John Daniel.

His planning is meticulous; he rolls out a list of activities that include a cricket tournament, cultural competition and a youth festival — “all these to bring in young blood into Rotary.” He is promoting patriotic spirit in schoolchildren by observing Independence and Republic Day with fanfare.

His focus is cancer care and promoting organ donation awareness. About 6,000 volunteers have been roped in to sensitise people on organ donation.

“Organ donation is close to my heart and I became governor to lay more emphasis on it,” says Daniel.

The District has acquired a mammography bus to screen people in the interior areas for cancer. The incidence of the disease is more in this region due to radiation caused by mineral sand mining and pollution from cashew factories, he says.

Living by his late father’s advice to spend a percentage of his earnings on charity, he has sponsored the marriage of nine girls and constructed 11 houses for the needy, through his private trust.

He had no inclination to join Rotary for a long time. “I thought it was all about playing cards and liquor. Being a teetotaler, I thought it will not suit me.” On a friend’s invitation he got enrolled in RC Quilon East in 1997, but did nothing for a couple of years. “Then my presidential year and first project — donating TV and VCD players to a prison — hooked me in and this year I am all set to become a Level III Major Donor,” he says.

A stickler for punctuality, he was inspired by RID Manoj Desai, and is known for beginning his events on time and finishing them well ahead. “No mementoes, bouquets or gifts. I’ve requested clubs to donate that money to TRF.” He plans to raise $10 lakh for TRF and bring in 1,500 new Rotarians. “I marvel at our collective power to realise the dreams of the lesser-privileged.

I can never tire of Rotary and am against the words ‘tired’ and ‘retire’.”

He loves challenges

H

e was on his way to his hospital to perform a surgery when I called him for this interview. “Are you going to beautify someone?” I ask. “Yes, I am going to treat a small child with cleft lip,” said Ramachandran Bharat. This is his 25th year as a Rotarian and he “loves and enjoys every moment of it.” His wife Vijaya Lakshmi is a cardiologist and between the two, cleft care and fixing free pace makers for heart patients are “our domain of doing good for humanity.” Bharat has been part of the medical mission team to Rwanda and Malawi and is all excited to serve again at Accra, Ghana, in March 2017. He visits Odisha every month to perform cleft corrective surgeries. “I want to break the myth that plastic surgery is expensive. No, it is not.” He is more into reconstructive surgery than cosmetic surgery.

He lists out the district’s challenges. Digitisation is the biggest; “most of them are in business. But they don’t know how to operate computers and are not comfortable with e-voting. So, I have appointed tech-savvy people to help out the presidents with uploading data in Club Central and planning workshops to familiarise them with computers.”

He is concentrating on breathing life into weak clubs. Most clubs, he says, do not maintain proper accounts and “basic Rotary principles need to be hammered into them.” Maoist activities is another problem in the region. “Whenever I visit these belts, my wife insists that I text her twice a day about my safety,” he smiles.

He is excited about the Rotary eye hospital being constructed at Gaya with global grants and the medical mission to Accra that will be hosted by his district in March 2017. He has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh from the District Grants to each club to construct toilets and handwash stations in schools.

He says the progress in membership growth is quite slow with less than 100 new members added so far, while his target is to add 550 members to the existing 3,800. While the TRF contribution goal is set at $5 lakh, “I’ll be happy if I can raise $4 lakh,” says Bharat. He has planned fund raisers such as raffle coupons called Special Chabbis worth Rs 2,000 each which he hopes will fetch $1.5 lakh.

Dr Ramachandran Bharat Plastic Surgeon RC Jamshedpur, D 3250

K Sreerama Murthy Kandukuri Educationist RC Nandyal, D 3160

Literacy is his passion

H

e is all praise for his “real star leaders” and is confident of exceeding the TRF target of $2 lakh, which will be a record for his District. He is also hopeful of raising Rs 30 lakh towards the Polio Fund.

“I plan to add 500 more members and charter 11 new clubs,” says Sreerama Murthy, having chartered already three new clubs.

He is happy that his district has presented the Nation Builder Awards to 2,010 teachers and his team is actively promoting literacy and WinS through several rallies and projects. “We will be distributing 5,000 dual desks and 125 E-learning kits to schools in rural areas through global grants,” he says.

Murthy is a Rotarian since 1977 and considers the screening of 1,100 patients and the 600 surgeries performed through a mega eye camp organsied by his club as his best moment. “This and the rehab programme we did that transformed the lives of 120 notorious criminals, when I was the club secretary, glued me to Rotary.” His son, a doctor in Bengaluru, is also a Rotarian.

Braveheart of Mithila

G

irls are generally married off early in Bihar. Sunita’s (name changed) story depicts the plight of girls who did not get education as children, but got an opportunity to study when RILM’s Asha Kiran centre was started in Mithila. The girls here can now read and write though they have lost many precious years.

“My name is Sunita. Due to family issues, I was forced to drop out of school. I was keen to study but there was no opportunity. I got enrolled in the Asha Kiran centre that was opened in my village with my father’s permission. I learnt various useful skills, apart from studies.

My time at the centre was cut short when my father planned to get me married at age 13 with a boy from the neighbouring village. I tried to resist in vain.

After few days he invited the boy’s family and forced me to stop

my studies. I gathered courage and said, “Hum bihaa na karam, padhai karam.” (I want to study and not get married.)

That incident changed my life.

Now I go to the Asha Kiran centre regularly and I will not get married until I get basic education. I pray that

all parents give proper education to their daughters and never marry them off at a young age.”

Sunita has become an inspiration for many other girls in the village.

Education should not be treated as a privilege but the right of every individual.

Teacher Support

R

ILM entered into an agreement with Macmillan Publishers Pvt Ltd in March 2016 for training teachers across India. On September 8, the International Literacy Day, RC Bharuch, D 3060, organised a twoday workshop with Macmillan to train 70 teachers. The training topics were Classroom Management and Life Skills Education. The programme was conducted under the leadership of Teacher Support National Committee Chair PDG Devang Thakore. RI Director Manoj Desai graced the occasion with his presence.

RC Salem West, D 2982, conducted a session of the British Council’s Core Skills programme ‘Criti48 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

cal Thinking and Problem Solving,’ for teachers. The session was part of the valedictory of British Council’s ‘Connecting Classrooms’ — a global education programme designed to build the capacity of teachers worldwide and help young people become globally aware and competitive.

The key objectives of the core skills project were to provide training on core skills pedagogy to 100 teachers from government schools in Salem, to enable them to use student-centric approaches in their lessons in line with the recommendations of the NCF (2005) and to inculcate core skills thinking in students.

12,640 children more under the Asha Kiran… a ray of hope!

School Survey Campaign RILM plans to conduct a survey in Government/Zilla Parishad/Municipal schools.

A

s a result of vigorous CSR campaign, corporates are willing to give donations for T-E-A-C-H, and they require the names of schools. If we start the survey exercise post enquiry generation, it delays the entire process. It is better that the survey is done in advance. Thus a reservoir of data should be created. This survey also helps the clubs in their future projects.

It gives hands-on experience for the clubs about working with schools at grassroots level.

The following steps will help the clubs in the process: z Download the RILM App z Go to the School Survey tab and familiarise yourself with the form z Identify at least 5 schools and seek permission from the school authority to conduct the survey z Visit the schools and speak to the Principal, School Management Committee to ſNN WR VJG HQTO z Click on submit to complete the survey.

Clubs conducting survey will receive recognition certificates from RILM. The recognition criteria are as follows: Star Club — Survey in 5 schools; Super Star — Survey in 10 schools; Mega Star — Survey in 15 schools; Supreme Star — Survey in 25 schools.

RID 3080 launches it’s 1st Asha Kiran Centre

by RILM Patron PRIP Rajendra Saboo.

T

he child development vertical of T-E-A-C-H is growing in leaps and bounds as we continue to reach more children with a ray of hope.

The first Asha Kiran centre of D 3080 was launched by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo on the National Education Day for 1,000 out-of-school children of Snehalaya, an orphanage, run in collaboration with Vatsal Chaya Trust. The members of RC and IWC Chandigarh are screening the children of the Trust.

Next were a series of collaboration with Charities Aid Foundation India which is covering RI Districts 3012,

Happy Schools 1,420 elementary schools transformed into Happy Schools

RC Mysore West established libraries in each of the four schools in a village of Mysuru.

IWC Jamshedpur, District 325, improved the infrastructure at Mahatopara Prathmik Vidyalaya, Kagalnagar, benefitting more than 100 students.

3040, 3051, 3053, 3261 and 3262, comprising the States of Delhi, Chattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, benefitting 10,000 children. Around 540 children will also be sent back to school in collaboration with Awareness Training and Motivation for Action in District 3052. A collaboration with Adarsh Shisksha Samiti will send 500 children back to schools in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

An MoU with Lutheran World Service India Trust is set to send 600 children back to school in Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.

RILM Mobile App Have you downloaded the T-E-A-C-H App yet? If not, download it now. Download it from App Store/Play Store/ iOS. It will make things very easy for DGs, Presidents and Rotarians to get news, update projects, share pictures etc. It will be your gateway to find funds for T-E-A-C-H projects.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 49

Adult Literacy 10 Adult Literacy Centres started by District 3080

D

istrict 3080, under the chairmanship of PDG Manpreet Singh Gandhoke and guidance of Assistant Governor Vivek Minocha, started 11 literacy centres in the District. With an aim to reach out to 10,000 adult non-literates, RC Saharanpur Central, RC Saharanpur Continental and RC Saharanpur South collaborated with local schools, colleges and NGOs. RC Saharanpur Continental reached out to 2,415 adult learners

through Swabhimaan Centres at Mahila Vridh Ashram, Manav Mandir, District Jail, Noor Basti slum area, Sankalp Siksha Niketan in Sonarjunpur village, Shishu Mandir at Satpura village, Udaan and D A V Public School at Malhipur.

RC Saharanpur South set up a Swabhimaan Centre at Jagdish Prasad Inter College, enrolling 200 adult learners and RC Saharanpur Central enrolled 2,000 adults in a Centre at Good News School.

Activities by Inner Wheel Clubs in India

A

round 1,200 teachers were recognised with the Nation Builder Awards by Inner Wheel Clubs across India on Teachers Day in September.

RC Udumalpet along with Inner Wheel Club of Udumalpet and Rotaract Club of Udumalpet Gandhinagar, District 3202, donated 40 sets of furniture to Government Elementary School in Udumalpet in Tamil Nadu.

IW District 312, Inner Wheel Club of Dudhi started a Swabhimaan Centre and enrolled 20 enthusiastic learners.

10 Reasons to attend South Asia Literacy Summit at Chennai 1. Literacy has become the buzz word for Rotarians and Inner Wheel members in South Asia. This will be our Karambhoomi — we have to be at Chennai.

6. The Chennai Trade Centre will be a sea of humanity to witness the biggest event under the Rotary banner in India this year.

2. Be there to cheer the 5 Literacy Heroes who will be honoured with cash award of Rs.1 lakh each.

7. Meet friends, exchange ideas and enjoy live performances at the House of Friendship.

3. Network with Rotarians around the world especially from Bangaldesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and of course, India.

8. Listen to top-notch speakers in the field of Literacy.

4. A great opportunity to listen to our RI President John Germ and Judy, TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee and Binota who will be there.

5. Be part of the Centennial Banquet.

50 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

9. Rub shoulders with our past presidents Raja Saboo and K R Ravindran, and the entire Rotary leadership of the country.

10. An opportunity to soak in the cultural ambience of Chennai, the land of R K Narayan, Rajnikanth, Sundar Pichai, Vishwanathan Anand, A R Rahman.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 51

Devotees draw strength from the image of Shiva doing the tandava nrittya as they wait patiently to enter the sanctum of Goddess Kamakhya in 52 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016 Guwahati.

Woman, interrupted Sandhya Rao Unexpectedly, and everywhere, they shine for you.

There’s reason and no reason

M

eet Sita. She moved to Guwahati about ten years ago, from Bengal. In search of better prospects, of course. Her work environment is idyllic, high up on the Nilachal mountainside, surrounded by trees touched by breezes where the quiet is only occasionally broken.

Not too many people come to pay their respects at the abode of goddess Bhuvaneswari here. For most, a visit to the shrine of the powerful Kamakhya a little further down the hill, is experience enough of a lifetime.

Kamakhya in Guwahati is an important site of Parvati as Sati or

Adi Parashakti or Shakti. There’s no physical deity in the sanctum, only a stone slab topped with a cloth in front of which stands a small silver plaque.

Walk to the back of this altar and go down a few dark, granite steps into the cave where a priest, the panda, sits by a small depression in the ground.

Here, there is a constant, light bubble of water thrusting upward from a well emanating from way inside the mountain.

This is the real shrine of Goddess Kamakhya. You dip your hand in the water and touch it to your lips and eyes and head even as eager worshippers

Shiva, on the outer wall of the temple.

DECEMBER DE DEC D EC ECEEMB EM M MB BER ER 220 201 2016 0116 ROT 0 R RO ROTARY OTA OT ARY AR RY NE RY N NEWS EW WSS 53 53

push and pull. The panda paints your forehead with vermillion as he urges you to open your purse strings.

Another panda urges you to maatha teko at the waters of Saraswati and Lakshmi. This is followed by unsubtle references to the usual. And then you are gently pushed out into the sun again. Despite yourself, you feel charged, reborn even.

The story of Kamakhya is the story of Shiva and Sati. She is wildly in love with him, much to the displeasure of her father who refuses to accept her choice of life partner. The details of this narrative are easily available online, but the upshot is that Sati is so disoriented by her father’s obdurate attitude, she yells and curses and finally yields up her life. Shiva is heartbroken and wanders mad with grief around the universe, carrying Sati’s body. Somewhere along the way, her body is decapitated — no, it’s not a pretty story — and the various parts begin to fall off at random.

Wherever they fall on earth, a Sati or Shakti shrine comes up.

It is believed that Sati’s vagina fell on this spot, here on Nilachal hill. Therefore, the fissure in the cave floor is interpreted as being the yoni or vulva of the goddess. This is what we worship. The irony cannot be ignored.

Earlier, as we waited in queue in three parallel caged lines, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering and wondering. Kamakhya is believed to be very powerful, her temple is one of the few where animal sacrifice still persists. A couple of compliant goats, resigned to their fate and marked with blood-red kumkum, sit in the prakara, unmindful of the

Kamakhya is believed to be very powerful, her temple is one of the few where animal VDFUL¿FH VWLOO SHUVLVWV

54 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

surging crowds. Kamakhya is an idea in this temple, and what is physically worshipped is the female principle or energy embodied by her yoni. Yet, in the world outside and around — why, possibly even among the people who come to worship her — the very same female principle is desecrated, through despicable gaze and physical abuse.

Toddlers, little girls, young women, elderly ladies — no one is spared.

They are all equally objects of wanton cruelty and raging rape. The hypocrisy of the situation is palpable and I don’t want to enter the garba griha.

I share these thoughts with my host, Antara. I don’t believe, how can I go in there, I ask. But before I can gather my thoughts, we find ourselves inside the sanctum sanctorum, and there we are allowed to stay for a good many minutes. Then, as I said, we are gently pushed back out into the sun.

Now we will go and see Bhubaneswari, further up the hill, says Antara. They say if you go to Kamakhya, you must also go to Bhubaneswari.

That’s where we see Sita, wearing a red sari, hair all matted, eyes a light brown, small teeth flashing. She and her friend are complimenting each other on their saris. “The priest gave it to me,� Sita says, showing paan-stained dental work. “It’s beautiful,� her friend replies. “You look fabulous.� Sita nods, she knows she looks fabulous.

Antara and I smile and carry on, up the steps, to the temple. It is unbelievably serene and cool up there. Like the Kamakhya temple, parts of this temple too are camouflaged by hideous modern architecture. But inside the sanctum, here, too, there is no deity, only a dank stairwell lit by a single oil lamp, with the little opening at the bottom, water gently bubbling. Another yoni, I ask myself, not understanding. However, there’s no panda watching over, no frenetic grabbing and grouching.

Just an unattended aarati plate at the entrance. We sound the bells to mark our presence with Bhuvaneswari and turn back.

Sita, with the author.

Despite yourself, you feel FKDUJHG UHERUQ HYHQ

On the way down, we are drawn to Sita. She’s a friendly sort, willing to chat. This is where she works, sitting patiently, waiting for alms. Some days are good, some not. She’d like to work longer hours, but she has to get home to do the housework. She cooks for the family before coming to the temple. “If I don’t cook how will we eat?â€? she asks. She has to clean, and keep house, manage the finances‌ Who else will do it?

Can I have a photo, I ask. Sure, she replies, and pats down her sari pleats.

Then, when I press a token of appreciation into her hand, she says, don’t

forget my man there. I look down.

Which man? There are at least four or five lined up, and a woman, all sitting quietly, waiting, merging with the tranquillity at the top of this hill.

Everyone enjoys the benefit of Sita’s benediction, and we leave with light hearts. For a brief while, the pain of the contradiction is forgotten. We are carried on the wings of Kamakhya’s energy and embraced by the stillness of Bhuvaneswari, queen of the universe. Sita is one with this.

That’s why she returns to this cog in the wheel of life, day after day, whether pilgrims come or not.

I want to know: Sita of the matted hair, where do you get your mojo from?

Courtesy: BusinessLine Designed by N Krishnamurthy DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 55

A Rotary Bhishm Pitamah V Muthukumaran

I

t was a walk down memory lane for this centenarian during a felicitation meet to mark his 100th birthday at RC Moradabad Midtown. And for over 60 years, this physician, affectionately called the Bhishm Pitamah, strived to deliver healthcare to the poor with a humane touch through his club in D 3100. Rotarians recalled his selfless work at the meeting that coincided with his birthday on October 2.

Dr Janki Saran Rastogi was drawn towards the ideals of Rotary when he had a chance to witness a club meeting presided over by a senior lawyer Dr K S Mathur, way back in 1954.

That was his first brush with a Rotary activity at the age of 38. “Seeing

Rotarians do service projects and the fellowship among them inspired me to join Rotary, which has helped me achieve my ambitions in life,� says the doctor who got his degree from the King George Medical College, Lucknow.

Also called the Rotarian of the Millennium, he is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow and has dedicated his life for the eradication of tuberculosis, improving eyecare and educating children. In 1967, he became the President of RC Moradabad and drafted its Constitution. He is a member of Rotary Cancer Foundation which was promoted by the then undivided District 3100 at AIIMS, New Delhi.

100% attendance till date

During his time, putting in 100 per cent attendance in Rotary meetings was considered a big achievement and Dr Rastogi has never failed to mark his presence at club meetings and projects.

He has been the guiding force of all Rotary activities in Moradabad over the past five decades. He joined RC Moradabad Midtown in 1992 in which he is still a member. The club adopted him as an Honorary Rotarian in 2012 and even today, he attends all meetings of his club with enthusiasm.

A watershed event in his Rotary life was taking part in the New Orleans RI Convention in 1976 with PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, the then DG of

Dr J S Rastogi and his wife (left) along with PRIP Rajendra K Saboo (second from right) at the New Orleans Convention in 1976.

56 ROT ROTARY OTARY ARYY NE NEWS W DECEMBER WS DEC CEM EMB MBER ER 2016 20 6 201

3100. “I have attended about 25 Rotary meetings abroad — mostly they were in the US and it showed me universal brotherhood and the international face of Rotary,” he says. He has addressed Rotary clubs in the US several times, and participated in the Inter-District meet in Kathmandu (1983) and Asian Regional Conferences in Delhi.

Dr Rastogi and his family have donated Rs 51,000 for cataract operations and adopted a school under the Happy School project of RILM. “Never miss an opportunity when it knocks on your door,” he tells young Rotarians. He attributes his long years to “a disciplined life of daily routine and a balanced diet.”

Excel and work for society

His wife Kusum was past chairman of Inner Wheel (D 3100). The couple has two sons and a daughter.

To the young Rotarians, he has this piece of advice: First excel and be ethical in your profession and then look beyond yourself to work for society.

Virtual Eye for the blind Jaishree

T

hree Rotarians — Jayaram Mendon, Radhika Bhondve and President Anindya Dasgupta — from RC Thane Hills, D 3142, have developed a mechanism for the visually impaired to work on a computer, without using the Braille keyboard.

“We want to deviate from the Braille keyboard and make the normal keyboard accessible for the blind so as to increase their possibilities of getting a job,” says Dasgupta.

Thus, evolved the ‘Virtual Eye,’ with Mendon, “the IT guy” integrating various software. He combined a talking software that provides the audio input; a software that guides the student as he uses the keyboard; a magnifier software that increases the size of the image to assist partially blind students; a camera that scans documents and an optical character recognition software.

The pilot was conducted at the Pragati Andh Vidyalay at Badlapur in Thane District where visually challenged students tried it successfully. “We also trained the teachers to

PRIDs Shekhar Mehta and Ashok Mahajan assess the working of the Virtual Eye in the presence of DG Chandrasekhar Kolvekar and Rtn Anindya Dasgupta.

work on it,” says club Secretary Sunil Gwalani. It was officially launched in mid-October in the presence of PRIDs Ashok Mahajan and Shekhar Mehta, and CSR heads from various organisations.

The Virtual Eye kit costs Rs 2 lakh and can work on three computers.

There are about 400 schools for the blind in India and Rotarians could help

such schools with this technology, says Dasgupta. His team can train the teachers. PRID Shekhar Mehta said he would include this in the RILM to increase employment opportunities for the blind.

The State Bank of India has offered to sponsor Virtual Eye in 100 schools and Johnson and Johnson, US, has also evinced interest.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 57

Doing good with TRF help

Safe drinking water for Gujarat villages Kiran Zehra

TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee inaugurating an RO water plant in one of the villages near Bharuch as PDG Ashok Kapadia, a community leader and Club President Chirag Tambedia look on.

H

and pumps and drawing water from wells are becoming a thing of the past for 18 villages near Bharuch, Gujarat, where both the community as well as schools in villages now have access to clean drinking water throughout the year.

Although surface and groundwater are abundant here, the water quality is affected by inconsistent rainfall, siltation and riverbank erosion. This had been a cause of distress as water borne diseases were on a rise. But RC Bharuch, D 3060, stepped in to change the scenario.

The club conducts a series of medical camps named after TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, as also the Kalyan RAHAT Medical Mela in these villages. Each year over 16,000 patients are screened and over 1,500 surgeries ranging from cataract, hernia and heart transplant are performed.

Rotary also helped the villagers to end the water crisis. A global grant collaboration between RC Ancona

58 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Conera (D 2090), RC San Vito (D 2060), RC Charlotte Hall (D 7620), RC Bharuch and TRF raised $77,000 to install RO water plants in 18 villages. MoUs were signed with the village schools or gram panchayat.

Post installation, a 10 litre water can was distributed to every house in all the villages.

At Deshad village, the RO plant is set up inside the Government Primary School and has been a subject of investigation for the young minds here.

“Woh pani ko thanda kaise karta hai?” asks Rijul, a Class 1 student, who is filled with wonder after drinking cold water that comes out from pressing the “blue button.” For Alpa, another student, food cooked in the RO water tastes better and she no longer has to force herself to eat; rather “I eat a little more now,” she quips. Over 400 students study here and “clean drinking water has improved their health and increased the number of admissions at the school,” says Krushnakumar, a community leader.

On his visit to an installation ceremony RI Director Manoj Desai described this as “the best example of a good PR Project. Rotary can reach the most remote village and provide clean drinking water.”Aimed at accelerating and supporting the WinS programme RC Bharuch is also conducting activities related to sanitation and hygiene in these schools.

While students get the water for free, households are charged Rs 5 for 10 litres of water. The amount charged is minimal and residents are willing to pay for the assured safe water supply. The money is used to maintain the RO plant.

PDG Ashok Kapadia says, “We have facilitated these villages and they have become capable of managing their water supply. Community management of water supply systems reduces costs for maintenance and allows the entire village to access safe drinking water.”

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives WHERE CAN YOU LEARN TO BE A MORE EFFECTIVE ROTARIAN?

THE LEARNING CENTER PUTS THE TRAINING YOU WANT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.

GET STARTED AT ROTARY.ORG/MYROTARY

Rotary at a glance Rotarians

: 12,30,235

Clubs

: 35,549

Districts

: 534

Rotaractors

: 2,23,169*

Clubs

: 9,703*

Interactors

: 4,74,720*

Clubs

: 20,640*

RCC members: 2,11,370* RCC

: 9,190*

* As on October 3, 2016

As on November 1, 2016 RI RI Rotary No of Women Rotaract Interact Zone District Clubs Rotarians Rotarians

5 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100* 3110 3120 3131 3132 3141 3142 3150 3160 3170 3181 3182 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3220 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3271 3272 3281 3282 3291 3292 Total

*Non-districted

110 63 117 74 79 87 100 95 66 68 65 98 109 75 81 81 113 74 123 92 83 78 95 67 129 66 78 147 139 129 134 97 75 147 86 102 74 85 65 125 194 123 150 104 4,342

4,475 2,813 5,381 3,043 3,387 4,372 5405 2,192 2,477 3576 2,528 3,978 3,237 3,252 2,142 1,855 3,831 3,057 5,717 4,005 5,151 2,973 3,390 2,338 5,457 3,045 3,292 5,787 5,180 4,987 4,300 3,904 2,029 6,237 2,989 3,818 2,422 3,117 1,241 2,366 5,599 3,522 3,890 3,882 1,61,639

203 76 414 533 587 241 667 246 195 595 373 370 306 205 76 84 193 308 1,156 400 945 394 305 112 346 201 233 667 302 261 232 205 260 532 341 617 231 369 197 382 729 252 658 537 16,536

51 50 198 42 56 104 67 50 47 38 16 53 60 58 33 10 52 36 75 58 97 50 78 17 46 28 24 120 83 86 11 99 78 167 55 31 15 40 41 33 209 119 62 108 2,851

211 107 422 96 107 455 252 107 144 135 32 106 149 195 36 75 49 49 230 132 228 172 181 42 270 163 261 328 110 408 71 252 188 441 140 195 100 69 14 35 79 24 121 100 7,081

RCC

167 41 112 29 54 353 155 135 335 130 91 125 55 97 122 146 78 49 70 113 84 63 109 81 158 100 89 48 46 40 121 126 78 308 138 173 42 71 13 35 184 38 567 95 5,264

Source: RI South Asia Office

Remembering

Khushwant Singh Robin Gupta Not too many veteran writers are known for encouraging and nurturing talent among youngsters. A tribute to this great writer.

K

hushwant Singh visited me at Ferozpur in 1998 when I was posted as Divisional Commissioner. As his visit was a big event, I hosted a dinner for the legendary writer at my official residence. The elite of Ferozpur Division — a large number of civil servants, army commanders, descendants of the Gurus, and erstwhile ruling families — vied with each other to meet the wellknown writer at the large gathering in the garden. Noting the arrangements for his welcome — softly played Hindustani classical music, good Scotch served in crystal glasses by uniformed white gloved servers, Singh drew me aside and requested dinner be served for him by 9 p m. Guests were still arriving when he was served food on a side table. He had his dinner with a single drink of whisky. As we wove our way out of the party, he told me to rise early if I wanted to be a writer, and before leaving next morning he explained to me the art of writing simple, lucid, felicitous prose.

As suggested by Singh I wrote each day: at times I was pulled up for writing ‘literary pieces on the noting portions of government files’. Said an irate Advocate General with whom I could not agree regarding de-notifying a forested area: “We all know that you are a poet and writer and, only a part-time officer, mostly missing wood for the trees; that you are unable to comprehend the serious intention of our government 60 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

in cutting down forests to make place for human settlements.”

In his preface to my book titled A Bouquet of Thoughts, Singh wrote: “He is a most unusual civil servant.

I have known many who made it to the ICS and went on to be appointed as Ambassadors and Governors of States… but years of penning memoranda on files had deprived them of the ability of writing simple, lucid, felicitous prose. This has not been the case with Robin Gupta who continued writing prose and poetry along with making notes on bone dry official files.”

I

believe it was the streak of madness that he detected in me that became the

basis of Khushwant Singh taking me under his wing and persuading me to write for a wider audience. He posted a series of handwritten letters containing advice on how to communicate better and to his advice I owe my better understanding of arranging my thoughts within the structure of Doric columns and chiseling argument by giving up fleshy adjectives and making judgements on moral issues. Singh believed in the impermanence of human arrangements and, often, revelled in the absurd, as well as comedy of human situations.

I also learnt from him the need to avoid protracted, unnecessary social interactions, believing these to be, for a serious writer, a criminal waste of time.

My correspondence with Singh continued when I was Divisional

The author with Khushwant Singh (left).

Commissioner at Patiala and in one of his letters he inquired whether I was familiar with the poem Silence written by England’s Poet Laureate Thomas Hood in the latter part of the 18th century. He even took the trouble of attaching for me extensive hand written extracts from Silence.

There is a silence where no sound may be, In the cold grave — under the deep deep sea, Or in wide desert where no life is found,…..No voice is hush’d — no life treads silently, But clouds and cloudy shadows wander free. His amazing knowledge of literature was remarkable; he knew the poetry of most of the major and many of the lesser known poets. Hood’s poem had the desired impact on me and I learnt the rhythmic cadence of writing with compelling momentum. When I sent Singh my manuscript for A Bouquet of Thoughts, he returned it with valuable suggestions in a series of brief letters. It is almost as if he had made the project of my writing the book, his own! He was a marvellous man who rejoiced in the success of others. He was incapable of prejudice or dogmatic thought and plainly understood the curious situations of life with objectivity. Far from envying successful storytellers, he had made it his life’s mission to bring out the muse in those who would write, in the belief

that there is a writer in every human.

However, he forbade publishing a book at one’s own expense.

He brought up several generations of good writers in

S

ingh advised me to write a column for a known paper and build up a following by the time I retired, for he was convinced that it was writing alone that would be my profession. About one thing he was emphatetic: he disliked verbosity and name dropping, the malaise of writers of our times. He wrote for the joy of sharing his perception of the living process; and, equally, of nature and man’s inherited environment. He loved mountains and spent long summer months in his retreat at Kasauli, writing and listening to the breeze passing through the coniferous trees. He told me that a writer’s life requires disciplined living, hard work and a keen perception to which there are no short cuts. He also asked me to read carefully and extensively, saying without this the roots of writing would dry up.

After my retirement in 2008, I moved back to my home in Central Delhi, close to Singh’s apartment. I had the privilege of being invited to his residence several times and was freshly infused with the desire to start writing again. He encouraged me to write my memoir and gave me sage advice. He simply refused to accept that I had a writer’s block and could no longer write without inspiration. There is no such thing, he told me: “Just sit at your desk each day; put pen to paper and let the ideas flow. Something intelligible is bound to appear quite soon,” he said.

R

ecalling his astounding achievement as a writer I wonder if there is another litterateur who continued writing up to the age of 99 years! Day after day, throughout his life, though born to great wealth and an aristocratic way of life,

India and, helped secular thought to bloom in the narrow vale of religious bigotry.

he cast aside worldly pleasures in pursuit of knowledge on a vast, mindboggling range of subjects. Everything that happened in the world of events and in the realm of human thought was of interest to him and worth inquiring into — be it the finer nuances of Nijinsky in the Spectre de la Rose which enthralled him; or the celebration of a new bornchild in the tribal belt of Chotta Nagpur.

As the years after retirement passed by and I got distanced from the government, the only employer I could have worked for, I wrote out a synopsis of my life in service of the state and sought Singh’s blessings for the project of writing an autobiography.

After three years, the Rupa Publishing House launched And what remains in the end — Memoirs of an unrepentant civil servant. The memoir had several launches all over India and was declared recommended reading for all aspirants to the civil service. The book has gone into several reprints and has done well.

Singh called the book a literary milestone and turned me into an author.

Often, in recalled memory, I think of him with deep gratitude in my heart.

It is difficult to imagine another man of letters quite like him, for he brought up several generations of good writers in India and, helped secular thought to bloom in the narrow vale of religious bigotry; he stands tall amongst the rain drenched forests of memory; amidst writers quibbling over nuts and bolts of nothingness; as a tall lighthouse of compassionate wisdom and objective thought.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 61

When jawans got Rotary mithai Rasheeda Bhagat

Club President Neenu Vij handing over the mithai boxes to a Jawan as part of the Diwali celebration organised by RC Chandigarh.

O

n October 25, D 3080 Governor Raman Aneja got a call from Usha Saboo, spouse of PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, asking: “Can we celebrate this Diwali with our Army Jawans. They do so much for us; let’s express our solidarity and gratitude to them by sharing mithai with them from our District 3080.”

Under the leadership of DG Aneja, PDG Kawal Bedi, and RC Chandigarh President Neenu Vij, Rotarians in the District swung into action and 4,000 mithai boxes, each weighing 1 kg, were procured in a very short time.

According to a Major from the Indian Army, all the 4,000 mithai boxes were flown by the Indian Air Force to the Ladakh region. “I can tell you that some of these boxes went all the way to Siachen!”

62 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

While 1,500 boxes were distributed among the ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police), the remaining boxes went to the Indian Army.

On the response from our Army men to this gesture, he said, “Frankly speaking, they were totally taken aback and very pleasantly surprised

They were pleasantly surprised when told that this mithai was sent to them by Rotarians.

when told that this mithai was sent to them by Rotarians all the way from Punjab. It is not that the Indian Army does not buy mithai for our men and women during festive occasions. But it is very rare that someone thinks of the men on our border and sends them Diwali sweets. I can assure you that the men who got the Rotary mithai had a glint in their eyes and a smiles on their faces.”

Heartened by this gesture from D 3080 Rotarians, “our Core Commander has now approached Rotary for further help”.

The request is to sponsor some sewing machines for the local women in Leh under the Army’s Sadbhavna programme… “We always try to help the local communities in the areas we are posted”, the Major added.

Indian travellers get more adventurous

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh in Switzerland

Team Rotary News

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witzerland Tourism has roped in Bollywood star Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador for its 2017 summer campaign with the tagline ‘Nature wants you back’.

The campaign, launched in Mumbai, gave details of how to enjoy an adventurous adrenaline-filled vacation or a leisurely, relaxed trip in this iconic European country, a favourite destination of Indians and Indian films.

The campaign hopes to sustain/ increase the 16 per cent growth in 2015-2016. Winter tourism offers options such as skiing, sledging and snowboarding for the active traveller and Christmas markets, open air hot springs and igloo stays for a relaxed winter stay. The summer campaign

includes activities such as sky-diving, wakeboarding, canyoning.

Claudio Zemp, Director – India, Switzerland Tourism, said Indian travellers were getting more adventurous.

“They do not only want to take a cable car up a mountain and take pictures but also want that thrill and rush which one gets while doing adventure sports.

With a versatile and energetic personality like Ranveer Singh on board, we’d like to show that Switzerland is not only about scenic beauty but also has many activities and adventures to offer to the more experiential Indian traveller.” In winter sports such as skiing, snow-shoe trekking, tobogganing are available.

Deputy Director, Switzerland Tourism India, Ritu Sharma said

holidays in Switzerland “can be anything you want — adventures and activities or a more relaxing holiday enjoying the country’s picturesque natural beauty.” There are also package for families and honeymooners “who are not only looking at a relaxing vacation but also crave some adventure.”

Restoring dignity Team Rotary News

I

need not feel shy any more, neither would my daughter or granddaughter,” says 70-year-old widow Gopi, with a huge sigh of relief, standing in front of her mud house in Biravu, a lush green village near Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. Although the villagers here are educated, exposed to modernity and consider open toileting uncivilised, poverty stands in their way of constructing toilets in their homes. Government toilet projects do not benefit them as they don’t have clear legal records of their lands though most of them reside here for several years.

In June 2014, the then president of RC Moodbidri, D 3181, Murali Krishna R V conceived the project — ROTALETS — constructing the first bath-cum-toilet at Gopi’s house. Since then, the club has built 70 toilets in the surrounding villages, choosing beneficiaries based on their family size, financial condition, and those not eligible for any of the government schemes.

Open defecation and bathing in makeshift bathrooms exposed women and girls to dangers, including psychotic men

PP Murali Krishna R V with a beneficiary.

on the prowl ready to capture the act on mobile phone cameras, which if caught and circulated, will be a great embarrassment for them,” says Murali Krishna.

ROTALETS is a continuing project and the club plans to complete 100 toilets before they celebrate their golden jubilee next year, and will still continue until every household has one, says the club president Mohammed Sheriff. Each toilet costs Rs 30,000 and the club members provide monetary and material support. The beneficiaries are also involved in the construction process as “it nurtures a feeling of ownership and they will maintain their toilets properly,” he says.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 63

The Ten Blind men of Hindoostan

By TCA Srinivasa Raghavan

W

hen a doctor wants to know how your health is, she orders a blood test and takes your blood pressure. What do economists, who like to think of themselves as doctors of the economy, do?

They also examine the numbers: stock market, industrial production, prices, agricultural output and so on.

Some of these statistics are accurate; some are not.

So while a medical doctor can usually come up with a correct diagnosis and cure, an economy doctor can get it right only about 10 per cent

64 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

of the time. This is why, except when you have lots of money in your pocket over a few years, you have no idea how the economy is doing.

Some economists will say everything is going wrong. Others will say everything is going right. In the middle are the ordinary people who measure everything by how rich they feel.

At the moment everyone is feeling poor but the government is telling them to feel rich even as it takes away half their incomes through one tax or the other. Not just this. Its own numbers are saying different things.

Little wonder then that people are confused: if India is the fastest growing economy in the world, how come we are feeling so poor?

Who decides that the economy is turning?

Going by stock market valuations our economy is booming; but going by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), it is tanking. Going by GDP numbers, it is booming; but going by export and import figures, it is down in the dumps.

Inflation is low but prices are high.

I can give many such examples but the point must be clear: the Indian

economy today is like the ‘Ten blind men of Hindoostan’, as the story is known. In it ten blind men touch an elephant. Each touches a different part and they can’t agree on what it is they are touching.

One problem is that each metric that the government puts out is measuring a different thing — and as in the case of the blind men who touched only one part of the elephant — only that thing.

Thus the index for Manufacturing measures the absolute amount produced by the manufacturing sector. But gross value added — which is the different costs and sale price — measures the total contribution of labour and capital in the manufacturing process. The two are as different as the legs and trunks of an elephant. So we now have the absurd situation where total output is shrinking while more value is being added to that output.

Confusion is utter

Then there is the problem of the base year. The IIP uses 2004–05 as the base year; everything else has moved to 2011–12 as the base year.

The same thing has been happening with inflation: Two sets of numbers come out every month — the Wholesale Price Index and the Consumer Price Index. Not just that: they comprise different products which, moreover, have different weightages. “Confusion”, as Amitabh Bachchan said in Shahanshah, “toh hai utter”.

What happened in 2015 is instructive of this confusion. The Wholesale and Consumer Price Indices moved in the same direction for a while and then began to go in opposite directions. At one point in September 2015, there was almost a ten per cent difference!

Now the government says the two are again converging. Great,

but what does the aam admi make of this when he goes to the market and finds he is paying more than he did for the same thing than he did in the previous month?

Now look at taxes. Usually, in countries where data is more meaningful, tax collections are a good way of measuring income growth.

But in India only 5.5 per cent of the earning population pays income tax, and many corporates don’t pay anything at all or very little. So what conclusions can be drawn from tax data about the economy?

Finally, there is the stock market: why is it showing such an enhanced value of your shareholdings when everything else is pointing down?

Does the stock market reflect the true state of affairs in the economy?

As with the other things, keep guessing and believing what you want to believe. In the end, that’s what matters.

For more information, contact Ashish Sarkar on 734-834-4746 or Email: info@2017peaceconference.org Please visit the Conference website www.2017peaceconference.org and the Facebook page: world peace conference 2017 DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 65

A stamp to honour TRF Team Rotary News

T

o commemorate the work done

by TRF as it celebrates its Centennial, the Pakistan Government has come out with a commemorative Rs 8 postage stamp on November 20.

In its letter, the Director General of Pakistan Postal Services said this was “a tribute to celebrate and recognise the services rendered by The Rotary Foundation to humanity at large for the last 100 years”.

District 3272 DG Mir Arif Ali said the stamp and the First Day Cover

had been issued to recognise, in particular, TRF’s immense contribution in providing clean water, saving the lives of mothers and children, supporting education

and growing local economies by enabling employment and creating “opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old, strengthening local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities around the world.”

He added that the commemorative stamp was designed by his spouse Mahru, a member of RC Lahore Model Town, and it would go a long way in enhancing Rotary’s public image.

Doing good with TRF help

A joint fight against African blindness Team Rotary News

R

eaching out across borders, RC Nigdi-Pune, D 3131, joined hands with Rotary clubs in Finland and Korea to cure blindness in Ethiopia in East Africa.

Four Districts (1380, 1400, 1410 and 1430) from Finland, three from South Korea (3590, 3600 and 3690), and two clubs of Ethiopia (RCs Addis Ababa Entoto and Addis Ababa Bole) partnered with RC Nigdi and TRF to donate 10 phacoemulsification machines for precision cataract surgery in Ethiopian hospitals.

DG Prashant Deshmukh handed over these devices to Dr Kebede Worku, Federal Health Minister of Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa in the presence of Indian Ambassador Anurag Srivastava. “This global grant project will help over 3 lakh blind people across 10 rural areas of Ethiopia. The Phaco machines will enable the hospitals to undertake over 3 lakh eye operations a year,” said Deshmukh.

66 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

From L: Padmaja Deshmukh, DG Prashant Deshmukh and RC Nigdi-Pune President Shubhangi Kothari handing over the agreement copy to Dr Kebede Worku, Federal Health Minister of Ethiopia.

At present, there is a backlog of 6.5 lakh cataract surgeries in Ethiopia.

The Pune club will also host and train 10 eye surgeons from Ethiopia.

They will undergo intensive training at reputed eye hospitals in India, to perform phaco surgeries back home.

Of the total cost of $122,250, the club contributed $54,000, supported

by Korean ($20,000) and Finnish ($15,000) clubs.

While PRID Shekhar Mehta mooted the idea of this project, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo developed it further by roping in partner Districts. TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, PRID Sangkoo Yun, PDGs Sudhir Rashingkar and Mohan Palesha guided the project, which was led by IPP Ranu Singhania and Director Special Projects Srikrishna Karkare.

The Ethiopian Airlines transported the machines free of cost.

CONVENTION

City of peace

Controlling tuberculosis Dr Hismamuddin Papa

I T

hough Atlanta has seen its share of violence and inequity over time, today it brims with reminders that there is another way. Get inspired while you’re visiting for the 2017 Rotary International Convention from 10 to 14 June.

Take a short walk from the convention centre to the Centre for Civil and Human Rights. There, you can see the handwritten notes, speeches, and sermons of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, experience an interactive 1960s-era lunch counter “sit-in,” and learn more about persecuted groups all over the world.

A streetcar will take you to the Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site (pictured), where you can visit King’s childhood home and Ebenezer Baptist Church. The church, where King was baptised and where he became pastor, looks just as it did in the 1960s.

Another Nobel Peace Prize winner, former U S President Jimmy Carter, continues his fight for human rights at the Carter Center, on Atlanta’s Freedom Parkway. Visitors can stop by the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum which features memorabilia from his presidency.

Rotary will host a Presidential Peace Conference from 9 to 10 June to celebrate our successes and look for opportunities to continue our commitment to peace.

To register, visit riconvention.org.

– Deblina Chakraborthy

ndia is believed to have 25 per cent of the world’s TB cases and the estimated rate of spread of TB infection is one person every second and rate of TB deaths two persons every three minutes. About 1,000 persons die of TB every day.

The Rotary Club of Madras Southwest launched the HUMA Shasun TB Care Project as a Community Service Programme in October 2004 — the club’s silver jubilee year. The project was kicked off by District 3230 Governor Benjamin Cherian.

Having a wide resource mix of anti-TB drugs, diagnostic tools and expertise, why are we unable to control TB? This despite national programmes in the past, stretching over decades. We now have to focus on how to control the spread of infection effectively rather than merely diagnosis and treatment of the infection.

TB is caused by the microscopic organism called Tubercle bacilli or Acid Fast bacilli that are coughed out in millions in the atmosphere by the infected and inhaled by other normal persons, infecting them in turn. The infection could develop into disease if the latent defensive health mechanism of the infected person is not strong enough or if the attacking infection is massive.

At the early stage of the disease, the person would be non-infectious, that is, he would be infected but would

not be spilling out the bacilli by coughing or sneezing. But with time, if not treated, the bacilli in him multiplies and the disease becomes more potent. He would reach a stage of infectiousness, that is, an uncontrolled spread of the bacilli, risking both his family and the air to infection.

So the infection has to be nipped in the bud through proper investigation and treatment. Mass community screening could segregate those with lung problems, whether with or without symptoms and the TB cases. The early non-symptomatic ones, could be diagnosed and treated. Thus mass lung screening could ensure a restraint on the spread of TB bacilli and help effective control measures, and is recommended in high risk groups.

The HUMA Shasun TB Care project has screened 46,510 persons through 417 camps. The data generated by the project indicates that the magnitude of respiratory ailments including TB could be as huge as 5–6 per cent.

Based on this project’s findings, and to meet the need for active and rapid case detection and treatment, Rotary is planning a more extensive launch of TB control measures in the near future.

(The author is Co-chairman -Operations South India, Rotary India TB Control Programme)

Register for the RI Convention by 15 December for best rates.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 67

India: “More Than A Mother” Whereas all mothers are expected to be selfless and caring, those who are confronted with mothering a disabled child, have to literally find their ‘salvation’ in untiring care and sacrifice. Here’s a look at how autism mothers cope in the face of their double-burden, in this excerpt from Embodying Motherhood: Perspectives from Modern India, by Anu Aneja and Shubhangi Vaidya, published by Sage Publication’s Yoda Press.

Preeti’s Story Preeti, a personable young woman, was in her early 30s when I first interviewed her. Her husband was a corporate executive and they were an upwardly mobile, upper-middle-class couple, staying in a well-furnished apartment in Delhi. Preeti gave up her job and became a full-time mother after the birth of her son R. Although his early milestones (head-holding, creeping, crawling) were within the ‘normal’ range, his lack of speech even after his first birthday worried her. He started attending a neighborhood play-school, but his play-group teacher was baffled at his inability or unwillingness to join in play activities. She described him as ‘abnormal’, and eventually he was withdrawn from the school. He would throw terrible temper tantrums, scream and cry continuously, and display self-injurious behaviour. His father attempted to discipline him by hitting and shouting; this would frighten the child into submission but it deeply upset Preeti who

became very protective. She would have serious arguments with her husband over the issue of management of the child. When the child turned three, they consulted one of the country’s leading hospitals, where they received a diagnosis of autism. They had no idea what autism was; it was only when they read the information booklets provided by the institution that they realised it was a life-long disability. The young couple was devastated. Preeti reported that she wept for months. However, she slowly tried to come to terms with this painful reality and do what she could to help her child. Her husband was caught up in the demands of his career; it fell to Preeti to devise ways and means of teaching, training, helping R to ‘fit in’.

Due to the lack of educational opportunities available for autistic children in their home town, they moved to Delhi and enrolled the child at a Special Needs Centre. The child responded well to the therapy and started showing improvement; this filled the young

parents with renewed hope. Preeti even trained as a special educator and worked part-time. But as the years rolled on, R’s extremely complex difficulties took a severe toll on her energy, enthusiasm and optimism. Her daily activities revolved exclusively around his needs; she hardly ever went out to meet friends or family, and had minimal interaction with the neighbours.

She would take R to school, get him home in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day attending to him. She felt that any time not spent ‘doing things’ or ‘working’ with R was time wasted. Yet when they were home together, she did not know how to engage him because he was ‘not interested in anything— toys, books, TV, nothing.’

He would oscillate between bouts of extreme anger and aggression, and depression and misery. At the time of

Her plight underscores the paucity of services: respite care and residential facilities where parents can admit children with extreme symptoms or high-support needs and wretched conditions that prevail in State-run facilities.

the fieldwork, he was under very strong psychiatric medication. During his angry spells he would pull Preeti’s hair and claw at her face, sometimes hitting or kicking so hard, that she would fall down. He was a big, strong, heavy child and could inflict considerable physical harm, especially when in a fury. His mother confided that her greatest fear was that he might injure or even kill her when he grew up: ‘he’ll be treated badly… people will lock him up, hit him.’ She would sometimes lose her temper and self-control but then feel intense guilt and self-hatred because she knew that her son was not deliberately trying to hurt her, but was a victim of his disorder. She experienced feelings of frustration and rage, tenderness and pity: ‘what else can you call it? Because he is not a complete human being.…

Who can he take his anger out on except his mother? After all, even we vent our anger on our mummy.’ Torn between her concern about her child and her own feelings of misery and loneliness, Preeti’s condition at the time I interviewed her was one of entrapment in the expectations of selfless motherhood. There was a sense of alienation in an anonymous urban milieu, and the politics of care that emerged from the gendered segregation of the ‘homemaker/breadwinner’ roles. Her plight underscores the paucity of services such as respite care and residential facilities where parents can admit children with extreme symptoms or high-support needs; wretched conditions that prevail

in State-run facilities and the prohibitive costs and unregulated nature of privately managed ones, push families into a corner; urbanisation, migration away from natal homes and disintegrating joint family networks combine to create an impossible situation where parents are, literally, the first and last resort, and the mother the primary provider of life-long care.

Kavita’s Story Kavita grew up in a small town in the eastern part of India. She belonged to a family of traders, and had a sheltered and happy childhood. After her marriage to a groom selected carefully by her family, she continued to lead a regimented existence as the daughterin-law of a large joint-family household. Three years later, her daughter D was born. She was a very frail baby, susceptible to all kinds of infections.

Kavita cannot recall anything conspicuously odd about her, except the lack of speech, but her in-laws assured her that she was just late in that department. Deafness was suspected because of fungal infections in the ear, but soon ruled out. Eventually, D was taken to Delhi to a well-known hospital for an evaluation. She was given a provisional diagnosis of autism and referred to a special needs centre for rehabilitation. Kavita and her husband had never heard of autism; and it was only after repeated visits and counselling did they realise the import of the diagnosis and that there was no ‘cure’.

‘Embodying Motherhood: Perspectives from Modern India’, published by Sage’s Yoda Press.

Shubhangi Vaidya is a sociologist by training and teaches at the School of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Lack of services and facilities in their hometown made them consider moving to Delhi. It was a very difficult decision for them to take because it meant leaving behind D’s aged grandparents and the security of the joint household. Kavita’s husband arranged for a rented accommodation close to the special school where they admitted their daughter. Kavita had to learn to live alone in a big city. It was at this juncture in her life that the sheltered, shy, young woman started coming into her own.

She learnt to manage and teach her child; interacted with other mothers and fathers; became a mentor Anu Aneja is Director of the School of Gender and Development Studies at Indira Gandhi National Open University.

for families who travelled from the country’s hinterland to seek help.

The experience of being a mother of a child with autism changed the lives of both women in profound ways.

Kavita learnt to live alone in Delhi away from the sheltered joint-family situation. She negotiated with property dealers, shopkeepers and vendors. She learnt how to manage and teach her child. She interacted with other mothers and fathers. She became a mentor for families who travelled from the country’s hinterland to seek help for their child, just as she had done. She described her transformation as saree se suit (i.e., from a traditional saree to a practical, modern salwar suit). The shy, silent woman found her voice.

Preeti, despite her superior education and training, financial stability, and strong, supportive ties with parents and extended family, withdrew into a constricted domestic space with her severely challenged child.… Their perceptions about their children’s disability and personhood were conditioned by their experiences. (© Women’s Feature Service) Designed by N Krishnamurthy

70 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Encouraging eye donation Kiran Zehra

T

he Rotary Rajan Eye Bank has helped hundreds of people regain their eyesight through cornea transplant, and its chief, Dr Mohan Rajan, says, “People should pledge their eyes while alive, to leave a legacy of sight, just as they make their wills.”

In India, corneal blindness affects approximately 3 to 4 million people and 60 per cent of them are children below 15 years. In 1996, all eye banks in Chennai received a total of only 3-4 pairs of corneas every day.

The demand was tremendous while supply meagre. When he travelled to Sri Lanka to meet Ophthalmologist Hudson Silva, who championed the concept of corneal donation, Rajan was surprised to learn that a “smaller country than ours has surplus corneas and is able to export them to 35 countries. India with a much larger population should be able to eradicate corneal and childhood blindness.”

In 1997, RC Madras T Nagar, D 3230, collaborated with the Rajan Eye Bank, and a state-of-art eye bank started. But progress was not without hurdles. Although no religion is against eye donation, superstition and false beliefs come in the way. Rallies, marathons, various competitions for school and college students, printed messages on helmets, stickers for cars, posters, articles in newspapers, and radio shows were used to generate interest in eye donation. Later, celebrities such as Vijay Amritraj, Rahul Dravid and many others were roped in as eye donation ambassadors for the eye bank.

Age no-bar

The bank is associated with Visranthi Oldage Home which has donated 200

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pair of eyes so far. For every donation received by the Home, the bank takes care of the donor’s funeral expenses and an obituary ad is placed in The Hindu. Saraswathiammal, a social activist and freedom fighter, who died at the age of 110, gave sight to two

One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the smile on the recipients’ face after their sight is restored and their gratitude towards the generous donors who made it possible.

younger patients dispelling the myth that old age was a barrier to donate cornea. The harvest and transplant was executed by the Rotary Rajan Eye Bank which also has tie-up with many hospitals in Chennai to retrieve cornea.

Dr Rajan says the “eye bank has performed more than 6,500 corneal transplants free of cost and we now receive one pair of corneas per day.”

But one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is “the smile on the recipients’ face after their sight is restored and their gratitude towards the generous donors who made it possible.”

The eye bank is also associated with Rotary’s Gift of Sight (ROGOS), a D 3230 initiative that aims to deliver comprehensive eye care to the community, mainly focusing on corneal blindness in younger people and diabetic retinopathy in older people.

To pledge your eyes with the Rotary Rajan Eye Bank call + 91 98401 77177.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 71

Live undistracted live focused Bharat and Shalan Savur

A

monk known for his wisdom decided to build a temple. As work proceeded, he became a different person. He worried so much and walked restlessly around the site several times a day. He lost his calmness, peace, wisdom. Seeing his agitated state, his friend remarked gently, “I miss the person I knew. He is not with me anymore, but everywhere that he need not be. Come back, my friend.”

Distractions drag you down. Is your mind everywhere that it need not be, and is lured by so many distractions that you are restless, tired, unable to concentrate on anything? And if you’ve found yourself flipping pages of a book, your eyes looking at the sentences but not taking in a word, you would understand what the monk went through. He simply could not grasp what he ‘read’ in the scriptures — everything was suddenly incomprehensible. Truly, a de-focused mind fuels needless torment and all that is subtle and meaningful is lost, washed away in the torrent of external meaningless details.

Each external interruption increases self-interruption by eight per cent, and where the healthy adult’s attention span was 40 minutes, it has now dwindled to 10 minutes.

72 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Interruption science. Interestingly, a new field called ‘interruption science’ addresses this issue. Researchers say that once the focus is broken, it takes 25 minutes to return to the original task. Attention is such a delicate state with all the senses finely balancing like well-trained gymnasts, that unless you are a sage in samadhi, a telephone ringing can sound rude and intrusive.

And after you’ve dealt with the call,

your mind is in a 'where-was-I' limbo.

Sometimes you just can’t pick up the thread because it makes no sense — the link that made the picture whole in your understanding is lost. Or you can pluck it gingerly but without the smooth seamlessness it had earlier.

Is it really multitasking? My theory is that with the human penchant for hype, what we’ve grandly titled

as ‘multitasking’ is nothing but selfinterruptions. It enables us to bask in the glow of quantity even as we quietly relegate quality to the shade. Ultimately, we are the losers. The brain which can only focus on one thing at a time is forced to switch channels rapidly leaping from one subject to another with a speed and agility it is not geared for.

Thus, its perception and perspective plummet as reality gets chopped into several fragments so daunting that fear looms as we find ourselves increasingly unable to cope. Depression is just one shallow breath away.

Yet, ‘self-interruptions’ can seem pretty harmless and innocuous in themselves. You may find this everyday scenario a no-big-deal one: ‘you’re working on a complex project and you remember you haven’t eaten.

Feeling famished, you wander towards the pantry to pick up a sandwich, and

remember you haven’t texted your friend the time you’d be dropping in that evening. As you text, other messages pop up. You read, text back.

Midstream, you get a few calls and answer them as you absentmindedly chew your sandwich. Meanwhile, you check out your e-mails lest something important has come up. Eventually, you get back to your complex project and gaze at it unseeingly. It takes a while to comprehend where you’d left off… did you eat the sandwich or not… must have the bank statement printed out… fill petrol in the car….

Familiar? Researchers reckon that each external interruption increases self-interruption by eight percent. And that where the healthy adult’s attention span was 40 minutes, it has now dwindled to 10 minutes. I sincerely hope not. But Stanford sociologist Clifford Nass has a point when he dubs multitaskers as being “suckers for irrelevancy.”

Focusing and health. But rather than marching around with a Tee-shirt that proclaims I am a sucker for irrelevancy and proud of it! I suggest discovering the magic in having a simple, selfuninterrupted life and being in a smooth flow that feels eternal and entrancing.

Focusing is like seeing and listening with your attention. When you sit with the intention of focusing on a task, your brain draws in information and starts processing it — sifting, distilling, until a point feels right and serves as an inspiration for The Right Idea. It’s as if a picture in your head gets clearer, more vivid and the brain achieves a sweet concentration.

External factors don’t daunt or irk anymore. In those moments, everything in you, every hormone, organ, muscle, cell is balanced and whole. What you are experiencing is the splendour of health at its best, the utter completeness of wholeness. Incidentally, focusing also enables you to pick up patience and perseverance as additional perks. The point is not to let irrelevant stuff be the motor that runs your life.

Give your full attention to whoever you are with or whatever you do. And don't let LUUHOHYDQW VWX൵ EH WKH PRWRU that runs your life.

In that spirit, I suggest a Don’thave-to-do list. Ask yourself “Do I really need to do this? Does this activity/appointment serve any purpose?”

As you drop the unnecessary, your personal space, time and peace expand.

Make focusing a habit. Give your full attention to whoever you are with or whatever you do. When with your spouse, child, friend, don’t spare a thought for things unfinished or the mobile. Likewise, don’t give up easily on solving a crossword or puzzle — work at it until you get the right solution.

Practise the art of calm abiding in solitude. Every morning, purify and polish the power of your attention by reading with complete absorption something uplifting. Write down a line or passage that inspires you. Make time to listen to music that makes you want to sing. Sing with gratitude.

Drink water enjoying every sip, relish every morsel you eat. Exercise wholeheartedly. Laugh in the fullness of delight and let your spirit breathe.

Ultimately, the great thing about being fully attentive is that it helps you lead the mind to higher dimensions instead of the mind leading you and dragging you down. And, as I’ve experienced, when you pay attention to it, life becomes luminous — an art, a benediction, a grace… .

(The writers are authors of the book Fitness for Life and teachers of the Fitness for Life programme.)

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 73

Club RC Mayiladuthurai — D 2981

A

s part of its TEACH activities, the club honoured 54 teachers with Nation Builder Awards. Teachers from middle and higher secondary schools were selected for the award after evaluation of their performance.

Assistant Governor V Raman, club President M Subramaniam and District General Secretary V Selvanathan were present at the function.

RC Kallakurichi — D 2982

A

s part of its year-long Literacy projects, the club presented stationery items to the students of Kallakurichi Government Middle School in Thachur.

So far, 500 students have benefitted from the various literacy initiatives, says R Dwaraka, club president.

RC Thuraiyur Perumalmalai — D 3000

T

he club entered into the Jetlee Book of Records for promoting handwashing among children.

Over 350 school children in Kalingamudaiyaanpatti village were taught to wash their hands the right way. They were taught hygiene practices for a healthy life.

RC Faridabad Sanskar — D 3011

A

day outing was arranged for 60 children suffering from thalassemia. Rotarians along with the children enjoyed the screening of the Hindi movie MS Dhoni.

Snacks and gifts were also given to them at the end of the day.

74 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Matters RC Bhopal Midtown — D 3040

K

endriya Vidyalaya emerged the winner among 18 schools which took part in a quiz competition organised by the club in Bhopal. Delhi Public School and St Mary’s School were runners up.

RC Bhusawal — D 3030

D

G Mahesh Mokalkar released a book I am a proud member compiled by club Secretary Dr Ravindra Shukla. The book contains Rotary fundamentals which every new member should know. Four teachers were felicitated with Nation Builder Awards on the occasion.

RC Jaipur — D 3052

A

skill development centre was inaugurated at the senior secondary school run by the club in Ladana village. It was set up jointly by the Jaipur Rotary Education Trust and the RCC to offer free computer training to rural youth for employment.

The centre also offers courses on TV/mobile phone repairs, plumbing, electrical wiring and women empowerment programmes.

RC Rajpura — D 3090

A

dental check-up was held in collaboration with Surindera Dental College, Sri Ganga Nagar, on the campus of PMN College. A specialised dental van was used for this purpose.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 75

Club RC Hiranandani Estate — D 3142

T

he club members led by President Roopali Deshpande painted the 5,500 sq ft wall on Ghodbunder Highway with spiritual figures. The wall and the flyover’s pillars also sport a huge Rotary logo. The painted wall, named the Wall of Inspiration, has enhanced Rotary’s visibility and public image in the region.

RC Dhone — D 3160

T

he Rotarians established a kids’ playzone at KVS Park in Dhone. Project Chairman R Vijay Kumar said that the development work cost Rs 2.05 lakh. On the same day, a tree plantation drive was held to make the city more green.

RC Sangli — D 3170

O

n World Polio Day, a motor cycle rally was flagged off by Sangli District Collector Shekhar Gaikwad. The club organised the bike rally to create public awareness against polio, the need to prevent it and Rotary’s role in its eradication.

RC Bangalore South — D 3190

T

he club distributed 100 school benches and two water filters to a government school in Ramanagar district in Karnataka as part of the TEACH project.

Club President P S Satish said about 600 benches have been given to schools so far to make schooling more comfortable for the children.

RC Udumalpet – D 3202

T

o ensure oral hygiene, the club is holding dental camp every Friday and distributes toothpaste and brush to all students. So far 3,900 students from 29 schools have benefitted from the dental camp.

76 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Matters RC Sambalpur West — D 3261

W

ith the support of Parmeswari Bai Memorial Trust, the club organised an Adult Literacy Programme at an Adivasi centre in Sakhipara for housemaids belonging to Scheduled Caste/Tribe. They were thrilled to sign their names, identify words and perform basic calculations.

RC Green Land Silchar — D 3240

T

wo wheelbarrows were presented by the club to Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre for effective delivery of medical care to patients. This club has been working with the hospital for over 20 months, and extending support in several ways.

RC Berhampur — D 3262

I

n partnership with the Rotaract Club of Berhampur, Innerwheel Club of Berhampur and Interact Club of DAV Public School, RC Berhampur organised a dengue awareness rally in the city. Slogans were raised and banners and placards put up to create awareness among people on the preventive measures against the disease.

RC Kabitirtha Calcutta — D 3291

T

he club, along with RCs Calcutta Dhakuria, Magnum, Madhyamgram Metropolitan, Serampore and Calcutta South East, extended financial support to 38 senior citizens from two commercial sex work zones in the Metro. The Rotarians also distributed books, schoolbags and toiletries to 25 kids from Hope Foundation, Kasba.

Compiled by V Muthukumaran Designed by L Gunasekaran DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 77

Happy Diwali

for special kids

V Muthukumaran

V Muthukumaran

From left: IPDG ISAK Nazar, DG Natarajan Nagoji, Srikanth, Narendra Srisrimal and Rtn Mahaveer Bothra with the children.

T

his Deepavali, Rotarians of District 3230 and their families spent a day with 1,544 differently-abled children from 32 schools and destitute homes. The VGP Universal Kingdom, a popular amusement park in Chennai, offered them joy rides and games; the special children were looked after by a team of 200 Rotaractors. The volunteers worked

hard for two days to make Aanandha Deepavali (Joyous Deepavali) a memorable occasion for these less privileged kids.

The children were pampered with a sumptuous breakfast, juice, snacks, lunch and a packed dinner.

“The idea of Aanandha Deepavali with special kids took shape during our brain-storming sessions. The

ANNOUNCEMENT With effect from July 1, 2016 the revised RI exchange rate is US $1 = INR 67.00 Source: RI South Asia Office

Printed by Mukesh Arneja at Thomson Press (India) Ltd, Plot A-9, Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar 603209, India and published

by Mukesh Arneja on behalf of Rotary News Trust from Dugar Towers, 3rd Flr, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008.

Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat.

78 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

children and their coordinators from as far as Vellore, Thiruvannamalai and Thiruvallur districts participated, said DG Natarajan Nagoji.

“Many thanks to RC Madras East Light-up President and the VGP group chief VGP Ravidas for the free entry to kids, Rotarians, volunteers and others.

Nearly 2,500 people are here enjoying Deepavali at this beautiful place,” said PDG ISAK Nazar. And for the event chairman Mahaveer Bothra, it was “a double delight as my daughter is also celebrating her birthday today.”

Nagoji thanked Bothra, his wife Jayashree and the RC Madras T Nagar team for the event. Actor Srikanth joined the children and the Rotarians.

Guest of honour Narendra Srisrimal, Chairman, Medi Sales India, said he was elated to celebrate Deepavali with the children.

“We are having great fun,” said Sharmila Mary (14) from Christ King Children’s Home in East Tambaram.

Readily agreeing with her, Abhinaya (17) and Vilashini (13) chorused, “roamba pudichirukku (we like it very much).”

Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor, trustees of the Rotary News Trust, or Rotary International.

Every effort is made to ensure that the magazine’s content is accurate. Information is published in good faith but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience arising from errors or omission. Advertisements are accepted at face value and no liability can be accepted for the action of advertisers. The Editor welcomes contribution of articles, news items, photographs and letters, but is under no obligation to publish unsolicited material. The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length.

Contributors must ensure that all material submitted is not in breach of copyright or that if such material is submitted, they have obtained necessary permission, in writing, for its reproduction.

Photographs in this publication may not be reproduced, whether in part or in whole, without the consent of Rotary News Trust.

R

IDE C Basker convened a Coordinators meet at Chennai to discuss and plan training events for next year.

Standing (From L): PDGs Avinash Potdar, Ashish Desai, RIDE C Basker, PDGs K P Nagesh, Rajadurai Michael and Rajendra Rai; Sitting (From L): PDGs Kamal Sanghvi, Vijay Jalan, Ashok Panjwani, Sam Patibandla, Ravi Vadlamani and Ashok Gupta.

P

RID P T Prabhakar felicitated the Major Donors and AKS members at the Intercity Centennial Celebrations organised at Hongkong by the Rotary Clubs of Hongkong, Kowloon, Macau and Mangolia.

R

C Alleppey, D 3211, observed the World Literacy Day with school students by publicising Rotary’s literacy mission in various schools in Alleppey.

Stop a Migraine in its tracks O P Khanna

A

migraine can be quite unbearable — the blood vessels around your brain expand and begin to irritate the tissue and nerves around, causing the pain. So, if you, or someone you know, suffers from migraines and headaches, be sure to check out these warning signs, tips and remedies.

The exact cause of a migraine is unknown. Researchers believe that it’s a neurological problem. However, a number of factors can trigger pain, some of which include tension or stress, hormonal or environmental changes, long-term exposure to the sun, lack of sleep, consumption of alcohol and certain foods as well as skipped meals and poor diet.

80 ROTARY NEWS DECEMBER 2016

Types of headache There are several types of headache.

Each has a distinct symptom and treatment.

In a common headache, the pain usually occurs across the forehead.

While in stress headaches, pain runs from the top of the neck all the way up to the top of the skull.

Migraines: Intense pain on one side of the head, always repeated in the same area. It is accompanied by disturbances of vision and hearing, nausea and vomiting.

Headaches due to digestive problems: Headache accompanied by stomach, kidney, intestinal and gallbladder aliments, and sometimes linked with overindulgence in alcohol, food sensitivities and food additives.

Tension headaches: These muscle contraction headaches cause mild to moderate pain from the neck to the forehead.

Sinus headaches: Inflammation of the lining of one of the eight sinus cavities can cause a deep, dull, chronic ache around the eyes, nose and head.

Between men and women, who is more prone to migraines; who experiences more pain; Whose migraines last the longest?

Women suffer from migraine three times as often as men, about 25 per cent of women and 8 per cent of men suffer from migraine.

The statistics of the Migraine Buddy, an advanced medical app used to track and record migraines, say that 35 per cent of men report physical exertion as a migraine cause, while women blame

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to seek out the nutritional information labels on each product to determine whether they contain the following: Monosodium glutamate: Potato chips, frozen food, salt flavoured snacks, etc.

Caffeine: Protein bars, coffee, sodas, flavoured water and energy drinks.

Tyramine: Chocolate, alcoholic beverages and fermented foods such as cheese.

Sodium nitrate: Beef, bacon, sausage, canned food.

Aspartame: Diet soda and other soft drinks, instant breakfast food, breath mints, cereals, frozen desserts and gelatine.

the weather. Women experience longer and higher level of pain. A large proportion of men do not take medication to treat the pain. Men feel more depressed and sensitive to light, while women feel more nauseous and are sensitive to smell.

visual disturbance, nausea, neck pain or sinus symptoms, take action immediately to stop your migraine in its tracks. On this note, if you experience many of these signs, seek proper diagnosis from a healthcare professional.

The triggers A number of factors such as food, menstruation, alcohol, stress and lack of sleep, may trigger a migraine.

Migraines can also be caused by factors such as hormonal imbalance, cardiovascular problems or inflammation.

Home remedies For a simple but effective remedy, you could try a glass of lemon juice with Himalayan crystal salt. If this drink is not to your liking, try the green smoothie, which has been hailed a “miracle migraine drink.” Blend half a pineapple, 3 to 4 Kale leaves, 1 stick celery, half a cucumber and some ginger root, to make the green smoothie.

Symptoms When you are about to experience a migraine, there are certain signs to look out for. If you experience disabling and recurring headaches, intense throbbing on one side of the head,

Food to avoid Food plays an important role in triggering a migraine. It’s therefore important

Food to consume Research shows that people with migraines often have low levels of magnesium. In fact, magnesium is thought to affect changes in the blood vessels in the brain. Supplements are at times recommended, but for a more natural alternative, up your magnesium level with dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit and dark chocolate.

Exercise Exercise forms an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Dedicate at least 20 minutes of the day for yoga. Yoga is a great way to help those suffering from headaches.

The writer is Past President, Rotary Bangalore Indira Nagar.

DECEMBER 2016

ROTARY NEWS 81

Bowled out by little smiles

In Brief

This Children’s Day was exciting for the terminallyill children of Make-A-Wish India Foundation as cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar played street cricket with them at the MIG Cricket Club in Mumbai. “No better feeling than to be bowled out by their smiles, #HappyChildrensDay to my little friends! @MakeAWishIndia,” tweeted Tendulkar, posting pictures of him playing cricket with the kids.

Message in a bottle Mineral water bottles serve as a medium to find missing children in China. A food company, teaming up with ‘Baobeihuijia. com’, an online database to locate missing children, uses water bottles to announce missing children. Around 500,000 bottles are presently in circulation with photos of six missing children, their parents’ contact numbers and a message — ‘Baby, come home.’ These bottles are sold at super markets, airports and railway stations. About 200,000 children go missing in China every year.

Waste to compost at the doorstep Snowballs carpet Russian beach A strange and beautiful sight greeted people in the Gulf of Ob, in northeast Siberia, as thousands of snowballs, in sizes ranging from between tennis balls to beach balls, washed up on the 18 km stretch of the coast. They are made of slush ice, which is formed when loose ice crystals collect in the water, and end up as snowballs due to the repeated rolling of waves over the crystals.

A similar phenomenon is known to have occurred on the shores of the Great Lakes, Gulf of Finland and Lake Michigan, during extremely cold weather.

Pune’s residents went a step forward to keep their city clean. Mobitrash vans operated by MobiTrash Recycle Ventures Pvt Ltd collect segregated wet organic waste from residential or commercial complexes of its subscribers and deliver compost at their doorstep. The initial process is done in the van and then dumped in an open ground, provided to them by the Municipality, where it is cured for two weeks and delivered back. The compost is used in large gardens and potted plants. The garbage collectors have stopped collecting unsegregated waste from anywhere in the city.

Eye-popping Diwali bonus Gujarati diamond exporter Savji Dholakia gifted his employees a whopping 1,260 cars, 400 apartments and jewellery, as Diwali bonus, recognising their outstanding performance and dedication in the last five years. He has been making headlines for giving such expensive gifts to his employees since 2012, when three of them received cars for their performance and again in 2014 when he gave 491 cars.and 207 apartments to his staff.

Compiled by Jaishree; Designed by Krishnapratheesh S

Little steps to enlightenment

B

agan in central Myanmar is the place of dreams. It served as the first royal capital during 1044–1287 AD and was the centre of Theravada Buddhism. Scattered along the banks of the Irrawaddy river, over 2,000 pagodas now occupy an area one sixth of Chennai. Built between 11th and 13th centuries, mostly in brick, these

magnificent Buddhist Temples or the Pagodas of Bagan, are a feast for the eyes.

It was a wonderful sight to see young Buddhist monks start their morning ritual walking along the corridor along the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan.

Text and picture by M Swaminathan

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