Rotary News - June 2016

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Vol.66, Issue 12 Annual Subscription Rs.420

June 2016

Seoul Convention

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

RI President K R Ravindran, RIPN Ian Riseley and RIPE John Germ with the Korean children who gave a wonderful performance at the inauguration of the House of Friendship at the 2016 Seoul Convention.

Contents 18 … and the children stopped dying When you have a powerful, moving story to tell, it is not difficult to raise funds for doing good projects, discovered the incoming TRF Vice Chair some twenty years ago.

10

We need to transform Rotary

As John Germ gets ready to take on the post of RI President, he hopes to usher in new ideas and more flexibility, strengthen partnerships and pursue the goal of changing people’s lives for good.

30 Sangam of training, leadership

and service Lauding Rotary’s role in putting up schools for special children in the State, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh seeks its help in setting up such schools in all the 27 districts of the State.

33 A Rotary Peace symposium in Bengaluru Rotarians gather together to discuss about Rotary’s peace programmes.

38 Data theft and sanitary napkins Yes, there is a co-relation; data theft from BPO ushered secure environments where women couldn’t carry sanitary napkins to office.

34

Setting goals and enforcing rules

At the Hyderabad meet Lakshya, RI Director Manoj Desai set goals for the DGs of 2016–17, while warning of consequences for any malfeasance.

40 Exchange students recollect Hindustan and pav bhaji Nostalgia, the Youth Exchange Conference of D 3060, celebrated the reunion, after 44 years, of youth exchange students.

64 A very special partnership A novel initiative that provides employment opportunities for the mentally-challenged people.

26 Pope welcomes Rotary

to Jubilee audience

56

A colourful Convention at Seoul On the cover: A moment from the Rotary Walk for Peace in Seoul, which was a part of the 2016 RI Convention.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

LETTERS Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi

Humility personified

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he article on PRIP Kalyan Banerjee in the May issue was informative, motivating, thought-provoking and simply a masterpiece. The man is truly a living icon of what a Rotarian’s life ought to be. The more I read every page of it, the more meaningful it becomes.

His name ‘Kalyan’ itself symbolises the purpose of The Rotary Foundation — ‘Doing Good (Kalyan) in the World.’

Every Rotarian like me is looking forward to his tenure as Trustee Chair of TRF in the Centennial year. May God bless him with great health.

Rtn R Murali Krishna RC Berhampur-D 3262

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t was a delight to go through PRIP Kalyan Banerjee’s profile. Indeed he has made it big by hard work and a beautiful vision. Not that I know him that well. Yet, I have had the pleasure of listening to his talks in Delhi during my early training days. He captivates the audience with his fluency and interesting turn of phrase. I remember his ringing message to the youth,

4 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

which I quote whenever I address the younger generation. He narrates the lives of Buddha, Sankaracharya, Jesus Christ and Swami Vivekananda, who left the mortal coils before their 30s, but revolutionised human societies with their thoughts and leadership. A message to the youth to achieve something while they are still young and fresh.

PDG J V Reddy RC Nellore-D 3160

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s a third generation Rotarian, and an Interactor and Rotaractor earlier, I have been brought up on a staple diet of The Rotarian earlier and later Rotary News. The recent makeover of Rotary News is astounding with well-written articles, good photos and thought-provoking ideas.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee is humility personified. I remember writing to him in the early 90’s and he would reply immediately, by post in those days.

I met him first at the Bangkok Convention in 1996 and later when he was RI President. When I requested a photo with him, he immediately agreed. I am sure as TRF Chairman in the Centenary year of The Rotary Foundation, he will take it to greater heights. It is heartening to note that PRIP Banerjee hopes to see a woman as RI President very soon; that’s a great boost for women Rotarians worldwide.

Rtn Dr Anjana Maitra RC Rourkela Steel City-D 3261

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enjoyed reading all the articles in the April issue — Why didn’t you come earlier?, We’ll see an RI President in five years, Change — the only constant and Rotary culture as reflected in the Judiciary. The speech by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi was praiseworthy.

Rtn D Suresh Kumar RC Rayachoty-D 3160

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would like to appreciate you for the presentation of the interview with RID Jennifer Jones and having an RI woman President in the near future. I wish her all the best. Thanks for the wonderful coverage.

Rtn Chockalingam P RC Tinnevelly-D 3212 Presidential conference

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our note about the Bengali connections made in the Presidential Conference is a great observation. The enchanting melody of Ae mere pyaare watan is unforgettable. The mention of RILM programmes and projects in your editorial require serious thinking. Like you, we were all moved by the vision of Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi on children.

The older order changes yielding place to the new and you have aptly hinted at the changing rules of COL which will positively bring in changes in the Rotary world. COL Highlights is a wise inclusion in the content and it will benefit the Rotarians of our country.

Rtn Arun Kumar Dash RC Baripada-D 3262

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read Rotary News and feel motivated to congratulate Rotarians for their noble work to eradicate polio and promote health and hygiene.

Rtn Poonam Kapoor RC Kanpur-D 3110

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he write-up on the Him Jyoti Foundation is an inspiration for

LETTERS

Subscribing to Rotary News @NewsRotary

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Vol.66, Issue 10 Annual Subscription Rs.420

April 2016

Nobel Embraces Rotary

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was amazed to read that a few thousand Rotarians do not subscribe to any magazine. All should be encouraged to read Rotary News every month.

Y o u r e d i t o r i a l Wi n d s of change at Rotary was noteworthy. Glad to hear that Rotary leaders, who met in Chicago, have made changes and given clubs liberty to decide how often they meet.

Two meetings, instead of four, are welcome. Relaxing the six criteria for Rotary membership and replacing them with simple

other Rotarians. PRID Sudarshan Agarwal started this project, and PDG Prem Bhalla is totally involved in giving education to underprivileged girls from remote areas of Uttarakhand.

Rtn T D Bhatia RC Delhi Mayur Vihar-D 3012 Not recognised

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am a regular reader of Rotary News. This April issue was a big shock to me. I want to bring to your kind notice about the article on Villagers get happy homes at Thirupper village by RC Chennai Thiruvanmiyur. I am a Rotarian who participated in this function. There was no mention about the three important

requirements augurs well for Rotary.

The April issue was magnificent in its layout, from its cover photo depicting the Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi being congratulated by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, with the caption ‘Nobel Embraces Rotary.’ The remarks made in Satyarthi’s speech are heartening and sincere.

Rtn M T Philip RC Trivandrum Suburban-D 3211

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t is sad to know that Rotarians are not subscribing to Rotary News, which is mandatory.

I feel we’ll know more about Rotary by reading it. It is full of knowledge about the Rotary world, what Rotary is doing for the community and the exceptional Rotary spirit which can’t be found elsewhere.

Rtn Raj Kumar Kapoor RC Roopnagar-D 3080

Rotarians, who played a pivotal role for this project — Past President and LCS Chairman, Rtn U Karunanithi, Rtn Matthuresh and PDG V Raja Seenivasan, RRFC, who meticulously helped for this project.

I believe Rotary always recognises, encourages, and brings out positive energies and the same should be reflected in the magazine also.

Rtn Mullai Subbiah RC Ambattur-D 3230 Editor’s Reply Dear Rtn Subbiah, I am sorry that names of people who put in such great effort were left out from the report. I carry your letter

to highlight their contribution and urge all PDGs and DGs to brief my reporters adequately when they seek coverage in Rotary News.

WinS — A wonderful programme

W

INS, executed by District 3211, has made a great impact.

Children who earlier ate without washing hands, now patiently queue up to clean their hands. This message has percolated down to grassroots.

Thanks to Rtn Dr Vavanikkunnel for his sincere propaganda on WINS. Rtn NRUK Kartha RC Trivandrum Suburban-D 3211

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rom the article on judiciary in the April issue, we got to know about eminent jurors such as Nani Palkhivala, Justice HR Khanna, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar and the service of Rotary clubs of Bombay (1997).

Rtn K S Rajendran RC Tirupur Midtown-D 3202 Proud Xaverians

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t Xavier’s College, Kolkata has produced many illustrious students amongst whom Nitish C Laharry (1962–63), Rajendra K Saboo (1991–92) and Kalyan Banerjee (2011–12) went on to become RI Presidents. It is a matter of honour and pride for the institution to have such notable alumni who have excelled in their own professions and vocation.

Rtn Dr Sudam Basa RC Bhubaneswar-D 3262 RI President’s Report Card

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ongratulations to President K R Ravindran for opening up Rotary positions to more than PDGs. Rtn John Borst RC Dryden-D 5550 JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 5

From th e E d i t or ’s Desk

Wanted: Missing subscribers …

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s a new Rotary year knocks on our doors and clubs and districts as well as several RI leaders at top positions get ready to hand over leadership roles to their successors, Rotarians at various levels will be taking stock of how they discharged their responsibilities and measured up to the tasks they had undertaken last year. Just as four State Governments — those of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam — and Pondicherry had to give their report card to the people and seek a fresh mandate. While two incumbent Governments of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, incidentally both headed by women, triumphantly returned to power, Assam and Kerala voted for a change. So whether it is politicians, Rotarians, students or players in any other field in life, periodic assessment of one’s performance is not only mandatory but also desirable.

For us, the Editors of the Rotary regional magazines across the world, it was a biannual exercise which mandated our coming together at Evanston for the two-day Rotary World Magazine Press Editors’ Seminar, ably conducted and moderated by PRID John Blount. As mentioned on Pages 42–43 of this issue, the brainstorming sessions were very useful and gave us an opportunity to exchange notes and ideas.

The meet of course began on a sombre note with RI President K R Ravindran, who could not be present for the opening session, reminding us through a video message that only the previous month the future of Rotary magazines had been put to a vote at the Council of Legislation meet in Chicago. The 500-plus delegates debated whether the requirement that all Rotarians should subscribe to a Rotary publication should be retained or trashed. On a vote 303–209, it was decided that it should be mandatory for all Rotarians to subscribe to at least one Rotary magazine. “This can and should be seen as a vote of confidence in the institution of Rotary publications, a tradition we’ve had since the days of Paul Harris. The Council concluded that even today, with so many ways to communicate and so many ways to learn, Rotary magazines are still essential to the experience of Rotary membership,”

observed Ravindran. He added that if properly executed, a Rotary magazine was an “invaluable membership tool to inspire and connect Rotarians.” And when run in accordance with good business practices, it can be profitable too.

The missing subscribers But he also reminded us that the COL vote was not unanimous, and three years hence, if the next COL votes against the obligation for every Rotarian to subscribe to a Rotary magazine, the “captive” subscription base the regional magazines now have can melt away. So a quality publication is important … one in which Rotarians can take pride and which encourages them to do more in their clubs and can inspire more people to join Rotary. We at Rotary News Trust are doing everything possible to bring out such a quality magazine month after month, and if your feedback is any indication, succeeding too. But a disturbing take away from the Evanston Editors’ meet, where a lot of data was shared with us, was that about 20,000 Indian Rotarians do not subscribe to any Rotary magazine.

The Rotarian, which comes with a $24 subscription tag (against sub-$7 for Rotary News) has only 2,763 paid subscribers from India. Rotary News has a paid subscription base of 1.186 lakh, of which 2,000 copies go to Nepal. Rotary membership in India, according to the membership data published in April, is over 1.42 lakh. Do the math and you know that about 23,000 Indian Rotarians are not subscribing to any Rotary publication. Even if you account for Rotary couples or families living under one roof, and hence obliged to buy only one magazine, we are missing at least 20,000 subscribers. The consequences of non-subscription, as of now, are rather grievous, beginning with potential suspension of the offending clubs, denial of voting rights and so on.

Rasheeda Bhagat

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 7

President

Speaks

Dear Fellow Rotarians, British writer and Royal Air Force pilot Roald Dahl was also an avid photographer who carried his beloved Zeiss camera on his many adventures. At a time when each photograph had to be laboriously developed by hand, on film or glass plate negatives, he amassed a collection of hundreds of images. In later years, these photographs served as a visual record of his travels, a way to document his experiences and share them with others. Yet he always spoke of his memories as being far more vivid than the photographs could ever reflect. So many events and experiences, he said, were simply impossible to capture; they could not be adequately conveyed in images or words.

Language may fail, and photographs fade; minds are fallible, and details are lost. But some experiences, as Dahl said, never dim; they stand out in our memories, even after decades, as a wall of flame.

They rear up forever over the landscape of our past, dividing our lives into what came before and what came after.

That metaphor has stayed with me throughout the past year as I have travelled the world for Rotary. For indeed, this entire year has stood, and will always stand, as a wall of flame in my mind, dividing my life into before and after.

When I think back over these 12 months, I see a bright kaleidoscope of images cascading before my eyes, day after day, week after week.

The anxious parents in Chandigarh, India, hovering at the bedside of the child recovering from lifesaving heart surgery. The bright flags of Nepal fluttering over an entire village that had been rebuilt after the devastating earthquake. The feeling of awe in St Peter’s Square at the Jubilee of Rotarians celebrated by Pope Francis. Joyful gatherings around the world, in so many countries, in so many languages — with friends I had never before met, my brothers and sisters in Rotary.

To serve as President of Rotary International is a colossal undertaking, one that cannot be truly conveyed in images or words.

It is a wall of flame that will burn forever in my memory, dancing with light, shifting in shadow. A thousand images jostle together in my mind, a thousand recollections, a thousand emotions.

Together, they form a great mosaic; together, they show the bright and glorious work of your hands.

As this Rotary year draws to a close, I am prouder than ever to be part of this great organisation: one that makes the world not poorer, but richer; replaces despair with hope; raises up those whom fate has brought low; and is a gift to so many, while allowing each of us to Be a Gift to the World.

K R Ravindran President, Rotary International

Importance of KPI

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e are in a changing world. It is true that time and tide wait for none. How do we remain relevant in this world? The answer lies in ACCOUNTABILITY. We decide goals at the beginning of year but how many of us do self evaluation?

Youu won’t believe it, but the Kellogg’s Training and Board experience has made eat difference in our functioning. We spent two days at the April Board meeta great ing on various decisions; the third day was mainly for reporting by the Directors.

Eachh of us was given 5 minutes to make our presentation. The monitors show the gress on Key Performance Indicators. Can you believe that each Director has to progress be precise not only on achievements as shown by the upward arrow but also easons for the downward arrows? Basking in the glory of past is a sheer on reasons te of time, friends. waste adigm Shift is taking place in Rotary in India: Paradigm Thiss is the second year we’re conducting the ‘Think Tank’ meeting with all Coordinators. I call them my ‘Friends in the field.’ But for their support we couldn’t have achieved so much. re was an interactive session on the first day with all Coordinators There s, RRFCs, RPICs, EMGAs), followed the next day by training for (RCs, istant Coordinators by Coordinators. The verticals of the Strategic Assistant Plann — support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase service and ease public image — were imparted to the DGEs by the Coordinators, increase D and RIDE, and they had to interact and discuss their goals with RID theirr assistant RRFCs, RCs and RPICs. The DGEs then had to establish their goals on the third day. These goals are without any pressure tactics. They were tabulated and before lunch the total picture for Zones 4, 5 and 6 A was ready. The entire process was interactive, inviting free and frank opinions from the DGEs. The next ‘Think Tank’ meet will have a quarterly review by the Coorators. The Mid-year Review meeting for the DGs at the Zone Institute dinators. ital as performers are recognised here. They share their success story is vital and those who are lagging behind can get tips and resources from the facilitators.

nds, accountability is the key word. This can be achieved if you have KPIs. Hope Friends, this write-up will encourage you more to talk to your clubs and follow this healthy trendd to make clubs vibrant. And, make this an ongoing process.

Manoj Desai Director, Rotary International

We need to transform

Rotary Rasheeda Bhagat

As John Germ gets ready to take on the post of RI President, he hopes to usher in new ideas and more flexibility, strengthen partnerships and pursue the goal of changing people’s lives for good.

H

e comes from a modest family background; his father was educated only up to the 8th grade, and though born in the US, his parents took him back to Austria at a very young age. John’s father returned to the US, as “a stowaway in a ship, after which he worked with the US Government as a rock mason … it was hard manual work,” reminisces incoming RI President John Germ.

“My parents insisted I needed to go to college, even though they couldn’t afford it. But my father said before going to university, you have to learn a vocation. If you have a vocation, you can get a job, earn a wage, and support your family.”

We are seated in his office on the 18th floor of the One Rotary Centre, the Rotary Headquarters in Evanston.

He is relaxed in a reflective mood and happy to answer my questions, particularly on his humble background.

So the young lad went to a vocational school, took up drafting and “learned to draw … not the artistic type of drawings, but drawings for buildings.” He did this for three hours a day for three years, by working during his spare time and summers to make money which he saved to join as a freshman at the University of Tennessee. He lived in a dorm and worked at the cafeteria; “that’s how I earned my meals. I also worked for a professor because I had drafting

experience, and also at a machine shop and thus paid for my college education. Of course my parents helped all they could, but they also had my other two brothers to look after.”

Germ says looking at the other affluent students in his college “didn’t bother me any, because I was as capable as they were, but being from a vocational school I had to take some night courses in english and math, because the aim of a vocational training school is not to prepare you for college.”

But the focus during his formative years was clear — vocation, education, job and family before anything else.

“We had a small garden at home and all of us worked on it.”

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hus, he worked his way through college and graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Tennessee in 1961. Meanwhile, he had met his spouse Judy at the Sunday Church School and married her in 1959.

After graduation, he spent four years in the US Air Force and then joined an engineering company, Campbell and Associates, where he rose to become the head honcho and for whom he still consults. The seeds for his Rotary journey were sown here.

“George Campbell, who was a Rotarian himself, encouraged me to join Jaycees first, and there I got heavily involved in doing some community projects.” When he aged out of the Jaycees, Campbell said it was time for him to join Rotary. So he joined

I lived in a dorm and worked at the cafeteria; that’s how I earned my meals.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 11

RC Chattanooga in 1976 as the second mechanical engineer in the club.

But Germ didn’t really get involved in Rotary work till 1984; in 1983 as the Club Secretary he attended the District conference and slowly got drawn into Rotary activities. Around the same time, in 1985, Rotary got involved in polio work and he became part of the fund-raising campaign. “Rotary first adopted a $120 million campaign and we divided our State and District into smaller regions, and I was in charge of several clubs in the geographic area.”

Of course polio wasn’t a problem in the US. “Interestingly, James Bomar, who did the first polio drops in the Philippines, was from Tennessee. And PRIP James Lacy and Bill Sergeant were also from our District. So I had with me three of the top Rotary leaders working on raising funds for polio, and since they knew about my contacts in different parts of the State while with Jaycees, they asked me to get involved.”

H

is next milestone came in 1993–94 when he became the President of RC Chattanooga; the District Governor’s post followed quickly in 1996–97. And in 2001 he was nominated RI Director for 2003–05.

Germ says his year as DG was very important. “In our District we visited every club before Christmas,

and we had around 60 clubs, a fairly substantial number. So I learned about the clubs and what they were doing for the community.” Also, he was asked to work on a project in RI District 3201, Southern India, where the DG was Vishnudas Lachmandas and “we did polio corrective surgery. They put up $25,000, we raised $25,000, and got a matching grant of $50,000 from TRF. And so it became a $100,000 grant for corrective surgery, pretty big in those days.”

This was his first visit to India; the American DG noticed a big lacuna in this part of India where “they were doing corrective operations but didn’t

With RI President K R Ravindran.

We’ve got to increase our membership but we’ve got to be more flexible in our organisation.

have a physiotherapist who could teach the beneficiaries how to walk again.”

A man of action, Germ identified a woman, “and next year we raised the money, and brought her to the US and trained her as a trainer for other physiotherapists in India.”

That was his first connect to India.

“When I was on the RI Board, Sushil Gupta was a Director too and he talked about both polio and water projects and I started meeting Indian leaders.”

In 2004–05, RI President Glen Estess sent Germ to a District conference in India as his representative. It coincided with the National Immunisation Day and he also travelled to Bihar and some

other areas in North India. His trips to India began as he became more involved in polio, and then he came also for an election issue.

S

o what are the leadership qualities that have brought him so far in Rotary, and what are the qualities required to be a good Rotary leader, I ask him?

“Good management skills, patience, the ability to motivate and work with people. These are the biggest qualities.”

But then, for the very top post at RI, don’t family and business time and interests have to be sacrificed?

“Well, Rotary is a time-consuming adventure, but it’s also a passion that many of us have to improve the quality of life of others. I go back to my parents who always said you owe something to the community. All of us are very fortunate, we have good health and can take care of our families. As for time, yes, it does take time, but most people can find the time to do what they really want to do … whether it is one or five hours in a week.”

On his family, particularly their four children being supportive, Germ

If we look at a Rotary club and can see only a certain demographic group of individuals, and no diversity, whose fault is it? Our own.

At a glance Religion: I go to church every time I’m at home. I read the Bible every day and believe in God. My family is religious. And the Bible says “to him much is given, much is expected.” So regardless of which god you believe in, you have that philosophy of service.

Importance of service: I want to see people have a better life. I’ve seen all kinds of poverty in the US and overseas ... poverty, lack of education, food and shelter.

Those are common denominators and we need to be able to improve other people’s lives.

Music: I like Elvis Presley-like music, the more easy, soothing type of music. I am not into rock and roll or heavy metal.

Reading: I like to read mysteries and thrillers by, say John Grisham, one of my favourite writers. He writes such good books and he has such good stories to tell.

Food: I eat steaks on occasion, and lot of fish. I do not eat heavy, spicy food, so when I go to Thailand, or I used to walk a lot, gym a lot. And then I got to be an RI Director and TRF Trustee and you have to travel so much, it becomes an excuse, not reason, not to work out.

India or similar places, I have to be careful.

Cooking: I cook usually two meals a year, and occasionally a breakfast. I cook Thanksgiving dinner, and at Christmas time I usually make the breakfast/brunch for the family.

Relax: I could turn on the music or TV and not even watch it, and be doing something else, and feel relaxed!

Movies: Very rarely do I ever go to a movie. No Hollywood favourites ... none.

Fitness: I used to walk a lot, gym a lot. And then I got to be an RI Director and TRF Trustee and you have to travel so much, it becomes an excuse, not reason, not to work out! I convince myself that it’s too difficult to take tennis shoes and gym shorts … so now I just walk on the streets.

Hobbies: My hobby is Rotary.

RIPE John Germ and spouse Judy.

says, “They come to the Conventions with us, they know about Rotary, they’re not Rotarians but my daughterin-law is Past President of a Rotary club.”

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n his priorities as RI President, Germ says his first priority will be to finish the eradication of polio.

“I know there is a lot of complacency,

many Rotarians are tired about raising money and who’re saying we don’t have polio in these countries any more, India and Nigeria are polio-free, so let us go to something else. But I don’t think we can go to something else yet. We have to finish the job. If we don’t, it can spread again.”

With the Syria crisis and immense refugee movement “we can easily slip.

A few years ago a girl in Tajikistan had infected several people; and the measles transmission in Los Angeles

tells you that as long as the virus is alive, it can transmit. So we‘ve got to get rid of it totally.”

His second priority is membership.

“We’ve got to increase our membership but we’ve got to be more flexible. We don’t have enough young people because we’re not attractive to young people.” The dues structure is “too high, especially in North America, where in the old system the dues included meals.” So when a member paid his dues, the meals came in too.

Advocating flexibility, the incoming President says that “while we have to maintain our core values and the classification system, there is nothing that says we have to have a meal,

One advantage no other organisation has is that we have people on the ground in over 200 countries.

At an AKS reception in Evanston.

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ROTARY NEWS 15

or meet at this time and at a restaurant. We’ve got to be flexible on such things. As also attendance.”

For instance, when he was Governor, in many clubs, if one didn’t have 80 per cent attendance, “they’d write and say you’re not fulfilling your duty. Some clubs required 100 per cent attendance. Now you’re not going to get this from young people or older people. Having a 100 per cent attendance was not one of my main goals in life.” His goal, when he joined Rotary, was to do service. So the dues

We don’t have enough young people and the reason for that is that we’re not attractive to young people.

structure and other norms have to be rethought. Also, could Rotary have associate members, say in the 25–30 age group? Or, can Rotaractors be involved in both Rotaract and Rotary at the same time, which the RI Constitution doesn’t allow now. “That might have been good at some time but isn’t good enough now, so we need to change it. But are we willing to do this?”

G

erm says he has raised these issues both at the Zone Institutes as well as the RI Board and the Council on Legislation has taken them up now. (The COL did adopt some of the changes). “The Board is talking about transformation ... yes, we need to transform Rotary.” It also needs to think about those 55-year-old people, whose business or profession

prevented them from a deeper engagement with Rotary, now that they have the time and the money. “So we have to think of both ends of the spectrum,” he adds.

What about women members?

“Well I don’t think we have to go after just getting women members. The women have to be qualified, as qualified as men, to become Rotarians.”

But aren’t there enough number of qualified women, I prod him. “Yes, and there it’s our own fault. There used to be a cartoon called Pogo which was popular in North America. In that, the alligator, or some animal, looks at the mirror and says we’ve met the enemy and it’s us! Similarly, if we look at a Rotary club and can see only a certain demographic group of individuals, and no diversity, whose fault is it? Our own fault, because we still have the classification principle; and the member has to be sponsored by a Rotarian. So when we

RIPE John Germ being given a traditional Indian welcome by members of the all-women RC Raipur Queens.

I cook usually two meals a year, and occasionally a breakfast.

I cook Thanksgiving dinner, and at Christmas time I usually make the breakfast/brunch for the family.

say we don’t have enough women, Hispanics, Blacks, or whatever, it is our own fault because we are not inviting them.”

Germ says that only 25 per cent Rotarians have ever invited others to become Rotarians. “And yet somebody else believed in them and invited them to enter Rotary. But they haven’t fulfilled their obligation to invite others.”

Also, he adds, “We need qualified people who are willing to work, not just numbers so we can say we have 1.3 or 1.4 million members. We need people to engage; and got to attract them to Rotary because of the good work we do.”

Giving the example of India he says India is growing in membership because “you do community projects and people are aware of the work you do; aware of the major role Rotary played in polio eradication from India. With that publicity, and the good work Rotary is doing, people want to join Rotary. You don’t have to tell them what Rotary is and why they should join. They already know what Rotary is.”

The same is happening in Taiwan, he says, adding that in regions where

With Karena Bierman, Director, Gift Planning.

Rotary’s public image has been enhanced, it is doing well.

But on the other hand, even though membership had improved in US last year, “it is still not good enough.” But the financial contribution of Rotarians in the US continues to be robust; “we’re still contributing some 55 or 60 per cent of the TRF money, giving more per capita and are the No 1 country in contributions. You can’t do projects without money and American Rotarians are giving money.”

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is next priority is to look at partnerships, expanding on the experience learnt from polio, where

Rotary formed great partnerships with WHO, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, etc. “Learning from these partnerships, we have to plan how much more can we do, as there are a lot of advantages in forging partnerships. We’re doing some water projects in Africa, partnering with USAID.” Germ adds that Rotary should leverage its strength from the fact that “no other organisation has people on the ground in over 200 countries. We have people in just about every community in the world. So we’ve got the contacts, the willingness and the people who can work, and we have to find people with money who are looking for good partners.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 17

… and the children stopped dying Rasheeda Bhagat When you have a powerful, moving story to tell, it is not difficult to raise funds for doing good projects, discovered the incoming TRF Vice Chair some twenty years ago.

H

is reason for joining Rotary was simple. “Because my father was a Rotarian. I joined his law firm and he made me join his club,” says incoming TRF Vice Chair Thomas Thorfinnson.

That was in 1980 and the club in Minnesota, USA had 140 members. “I was very young, only 24, and nobody in the club was within ten years of me!”

I catch up with Thorfinnson at RI President K R Ravindran’s Presidential Conference in Kolkata after being prompted by Ravindran to interview him. “He is extremely sharp and intelligent and has so

Everyone has places they can serve best.

I am blessed that doors opened for me so that I could open doors for people in need.

18 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

many interesting stories to tell,” is the RI President’s certificate.

So how was the experience in the club where he was the youngest member? “Extremely frustrating, it was all male, very much oriented to my father’s generation and not very attractive for me,” he grins.

But he stayed with the old men’s club “as it was good for business.”

It took him all of twelve years to really get connected to his club and to Rotary. This happened in 1992 when he became President of the club. Cliff Dochterman was then the RI President, and he was asked to serve on RI District 5950’s TRF committee.

The involvement grew stronger when he became DG in 1996–97, and RI Director in 2009–11, “the same years

I got labelled as a fund raiser. If somebody gives you $100,000 without your even asking, it’s bound to happen!

as Ravi (current RI President) and we became good friends.”

T

he very first request his committee of 1992–93 got, which was to define his Rotary work in the coming years, came from Rtn Rick Jacobson, whose church was engaged in a water project in the Dominican Republic in the Caribbeans. About 25 per cent of the children there died before the age

20 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

of five due to contaminated drinking water, falling prey to diarrhoea, dysentery, etc.

With his club’s money and TRF funds totalling $10,000, Jacobson had drilled three wells in the country, and when he visited it again two years later, a woman recognised and hugged him and said: “After Rotary drilled the wells, the children have stopped dying.”

At that point, Thorfinnson was the outgoing DG, and was to become the DRFC (District Rotary Foundation

Chair). “Rick and I had become close friends and he called me to tell this story.” As luck would have it, Thorfinnson was to address a small group of Rotarians — five club presidents and an Assistant Governor — the same afternoon. This was in 1998; the AG was “so moved by the story that he gave me a cheque for $100,000.

But he said you can’t cash the cheque as I need to get a bonus of $100,000.

I’ll give you six weeks to match this amount; if you can raise the money, you can have this cheque and all the

The future of Rotary is not going to be paying for toilets, wells, school desks or ambulances. It is going to be our power to advocate change.

from a brain tumour. An AKS member, he left a significant sum of money for water projects.” (See Box)

W

money has to go for water projects to stop the children from dying.”

H

e did raise the money in six weeks. “It was so easy,” grins Thorfinnson, adding, “I just asked.

I went to clubs and told the same story.” So powerful was the-childrenstopped-dying story, that in six weeks he had raised much more … a whopping $260,000! “We’d never had that

kind of money for one project, and had done only small projects for around $10,000.”

With over twenty times that money in hand, they put it into the annual fund and while it swelled there, the time was used to analyse, research and raise even more money to do more meaningful projects.

On the mysterious $100,000 benefactor, Thorfinnson says, “At that time he wanted to remain anonymous.

But I can tell you now. He was Steve Mattson, who died in December 2015

ith this incident, two things happened; a lot of money was raised and he got immersed in the projects.

“And I got labelled as a fund raiser. If somebody gives you $100,000 without your even asking, it’s bound to happen!”

The impact of the $100,000 challenge was that by four years they had raised $1 million. A series of small projects in Latin American countries and they realised that the potential for scaling up was the greatest in Haiti.

Thus came his first trip to a developing country in 2000. “It’s the poorest country in the Americas and I’ve been back there ten times,” says Thorfinnson, adding, “today when I travel for Rotary, I prefer to go to countries like Haiti, and work on projects and programmes; that is my passion.”

So does he believe that the professional talent and acumen in Rotary can be better used in the developing world? “Everyone has places they can serve best. I am blessed that doors opened for me so that I could open doors for people in need.”

Thorfinnson first came to Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu in 2010 as RI Vice JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 21

Q&A We need creative thinking to reinvent Rotary Incoming TRF Vice Chair Thomas Thorfinnson answers questions on the opportunities and challenges before Rotary.

How has Rotary changed between 1980 when he joined it, and 2016?

Of course, there has been a lot of progress. Specially with our image. And we are much more diverse, driven to serve and more recognised internationally for what we can do. We’re starting to understand what our true capabilities are.

What about women; what have they brought to Rotary?

That’s huge ... first of all they’ve brought diversity. And a different perspective.

There is the caring and nurturing that a mother brings, a sense of the world from the perspective … sometimes, of disadvantage. When you’re in a certain situation, you need all the talents and weapons. We are battling terror and poverty, among other things, and we need the intelligence and experience of different people. So bringing women to the table has special advantages.

Actually this has saved Rotary in North America for the last twenty years, or else membership would have fallen.

You mentioned terror; what role can Rotary play in promoting a more peaceful world sans terror?

As time passes, this is going to be more and more of our responsibility.

I think we have a greater capability in bringing peace than any other organisation because cross borders, peace is built by providing the necessities of life. When you have water, education, you’re much less likely to engage in terror and conflict. And we can bring leaders to the table ... both thought and government leaders. Often we look at Rotary as an organisation with boots on the ground, but it’s just not boots on the ground. Its connections with people who make the decisions in our communities and countries.

How will Rotary’s future pan out in the Americas where membership is falling?

What is happening in the Americas is just a hint of what’s going to happen

22 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

across the world. We are ahead only because Rotary started here; it doesn’t mean that we are leading it but that we are experiencing first what is coming. Most clubs age and have life cycles to a certain extent. Similarly, to some extent, the organisation has a bit of life cycle too from incumbency, through the teenage years to when you were strong and vibrant, and then you become more satisfied and set in your ways … and that’s Rotary too. We’ve grown and were expanding in the Americas, were set in our ways and getting comfortable.

Now we have to reinvent ourselves.

And how will you get out of that comfort zone?

Well, that’s the challenge …

At least you’re talking about it, accepting it!

Apart from projects and programmes, my other passion is how to take the organisation forward. We have to start looking at Rotary as a product in the context of club meetings. That it is not just about meeting every week, about the traditional model. It is about connecting and services … two key components. It is relationships and then coming together to take action.

Like fellowship and service?

Absolutely. You can use the contemporary terms of connecting and action or you can use the old terms of fellowship and service. It is the same thing.

In its core and in its essence, that

We are more than an organisation with boots on the ground; we have connections with people who make decisions in our communities and countries.

package your story and deliver it very quickly, and with a sizzle.

Kodak Corporation focussed only on the film and lost sight of preserving memories.

product sells, but if we wrap it in the old model of the club meeting every week, we may struggle. If we embrace the essence we’ll survive because that product is popular to 25-year- olds as well as 75-year-olds.

So how do you tweak the model?

It could be in the form of meeting twice a month, in the form of e-clubs or we could have someone joining Rotary in an area of focus. For instance, I join Rotary because I am interested in water and sanitation projects … like a vertical model. I am not joining at the club level but to serve in water. So you join for service initially and then start connecting, reaching out. That flexibility should be there.

I am not saying that it is a solution, but that we need to have creative thinking.

Give me an example.

I think our mistake is much like Kodak.

Kodak Corporation focussed only on the film and lost sight of preserving memories. If we focus only on the club model, we’ll be in trouble but if we focus on service and connections, we’ll be fine.

In the context of creative thinking and reinvention, what about 2–3 day meetings with long sessions, as happens at major Rotary events?

Well, people were comfortable 20 or 50 years ago sitting for long periods and listening to long speeches. Today we are used to instant delivery of messages ... little bullet points. Yes, communication is a challenge. You have to

I grew up watching 3–4 channels on TV. My daughters, now in their 30s, grew up watching 50–60 channels. And children today have a few hundred channels. In addition, they have internet where they can watch anything they want. And we expect them to join a club and sit for an hour and half?

It’s like asking for the moon!

What sell are the two core components — fellowship and service, but we have to package them differently … small, social gatherings, whether over a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine, people establish a connection. And when you want something to happen you use that connection. There are different ways to network, it doesn’t have to be over dinner every week.

As Vice Chair, what are your plans for the Centennial?

To assist Kalyan (Banerjee), the incoming Chair, will be my main job … with meetings, agendas, to make sure things are moving forward, to ensure accountability for the staff but they are superb. Since he too is passionate about the service aspect of Rotary, it is fun to serve with him.

Kalyan has got a lot planned; a lot of it is fund raising and also recognition of alumni at Atlanta. We are encouraging the alumni to come for the pre-event. The alumni are not just the scholars or Peace Fellows … of course the Peace Fellow programme is a great one. But we sometimes lose sight of how many students we have serviced through Rotary during the last 50–60 years.

How many of these do you expect at the Atlanta Convention?

We’re hopeful that we’ll see at least a 1,000 of the alumni; we hope they’ll come to the Convention because they appreciate what Rotary has done for them. That would be fun.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 23

A unique support and gift …

Rotarians gathering mud for use in building a home during a trip to Haiti in 2007.

S

teve Mattson’s story, related by incoming TRF Vice Chair Thomas Thorfinnson, is fascinating. He was a stockbroker and an investment adviser and involved in bonds to fund water systems of municipalities. But though involved in water systems in Minnesota, he didn’t want to be recognised.

Over the next 15 or more years, he gave $300,000 to TRF “and no one ever knew who he was. He kept it secret … part of the reason he did so was because he was

24 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

so emotional about it and when people asked him he would start crying.”

Just before Thorfinnson left for the Sao Paulo convention, Mattson, who was going in for a brain surgery mailed him to say “what we did together was the most important thing I had ever done in my life.”

He wanted me to know that. In the next six months he went through treatment and we met several times.

He passed away in December and he and his wife left 80 per cent of

their net worth to water projects, which is phenomenal.”

But, striking a pensive note, Thorfinnson adds, “it also puts tremendous responsibility on you when you meet somebody like that, it requires tremendous integrity and dedication to carry out what he wanted. He was only 65 and it’s a big loss for me. So yes, Steve is the unknown part of the equation. To a large extent I am where I am because of his gift and support.”

From rotary.org

People were comfortable 20 or 50 years ago sitting for long periods and listening to long speeches. Today we are used to instant delivery of messages.

With DG Kim Tovar (D 6400, USA).

and we finally became aware of what our real potential is.”

He thinks highly of both Wash in Schools and Teach India programmes.

“What Indian Rotarians have learned or drawn from their world experience has given them so much confidence and the way both these leaders (TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and PRID From rotary.org

President and has seen many projects in India. At the Kolkata meet, TRF Chair Ray Klinginsmith had mentioned that he is writing an article on how Rotary has changed India and India has changed Rotary. So what has been Rotary’s role in India?

“It’s fascinating. Rotary is as strong in India as anywhere in the world, and has transformed India as much as India has transformed Rotary.

I think the eradication of polio from India was an absolutely amazing achievement and it was Rotarians who drove it. And we learnt our lessons.”

Striking a thoughtful note, he says: “The future of Rotary, frankly, is not going to be paying for toilets, wells, school desks or ambulances. It is going to be our power to advocate change and this was best demonstrated by Indian Rotarians with polio eradication,

Shekhar Mehta) are driving these programmes is simply superb. The rest of the world can learn tremendous lessons from these programmes.”

And the advocacy with the government is already happening. More important than building 20,000 toilet blocks, he says, is that “Rotarians are opening doors at the district level and the national level. If every Rotarian in India stood up and said we should no longer engage in open defecation, things will certainly change.”

On the WinS project being much more than building toilets, Thorfinnson says, “It’s a lesson that took me twenty years to learn. I started water projects twenty years ago, but I now know that it’s not about drilling the well or providing bathroom facilities, it is about changing the country. And getting people to understand how important it is to wash your hands in school or home and not to engage in open defecation.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by S Krishnapratheesh

At a water project in Mali.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 25

Pope welcomes Rotary to Jubilee Audience Ryan Hyland

T

housands of Rotarians, motivated by a special invitation from Pope Francis, gathered at the Vatican in Rome on April 30, to celebrate a message of compassion, inclusiveness and service to humanity.

At midmorning, the group — numbering some 9,000 members from 80 countries — made its way through the congested streets of Rome, past the

Courtesy of the Vatican

RI President K R Ravindran greets Pope Francis at the Vatican.

tight security surrounding St Peter’s Square, and settled into the area reserved for Rotary in front of St Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee audience.

Francis, a 79-year-old Argentine, urged the crowd of more than 1,00,000, which included members of the police and armed forces from around the world, “to build a culture of peace, security and solidarity around the world.”

His message of peace resonated with Rotarians, including R Asokan from Tamil Nadu, India. “His message about peace is about accepting. Rotary, which accepts all walks of life, can carry his message to all our clubs, therefore carrying his message to all our communities,” says Asokan.

Though Francis is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church his words

In Rotary, religion unites Excerpts from the address of RI President K R Ravindran at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore built by Michelangelo in 1562, Rome, where Pope Francis had a special jubilee for Rotarians from across the world.

I

am very grateful to the Rotarians in Italy, especially DG ‘Pino’ Perrone and the Rotarians of District 2080, for organising not only a memorable, but a historic event … one that affirms the belief that we share with Pope Francis, in the importance of humanitarian service — for which the need is more vital, more relevant and more universal than ever before.

As we began the week with a panel discussion on the refugee crisis, I was reminded of a story of a young emigrant family from Italy, that of Rosa and Giovanni Bergoglio, and their six children. Fleeing fascism here in Italy, in 1927 they sold their house and coffee shop and bought steerage tickets on the Principessa Mafalda, bound for a new life in Argentina.

But the sale of their assets was delayed, and they had to change their tickets for another ship, sailing a month later.

Waiting in Italy for their departure, word reached them that the Mafalda had sunk — taking with it nearly all of the hundreds of passengers in steerage. Had the Bergoglio family

not missed their departure, had they lost their lives at sea as so many other refugees have more recently, none of us would be here this evening.

Because the oldest son of Rosa and Giovanni was Mario, who grew up to be the father of Jorge Mario Bergoglio — now known, of course, as His Holiness Pope Francis.

In the months leading up to this event, many Rotarians, and even some outside of Rotary, questioned me regarding our decision to hold a Rotary event at St Peter’s Square at the invitation of Pope Francis.

After all we are not a religious organisation, we have no religious affiliation, so why are we having a Rotary event that involves a Catholic Mass?

In Rotary, you can have a dozen faiths in one room, and all are respected.

RI President K R Ravindran

To all of them, I have said, and I say to all of you again, that what makes Rotary unique is that it is a framework in which we serve others — not with, or through, or despite our religion — but in parallel to it. In Rotary, you can have a dozen faiths in one room, and all are respected; with one caveat that we will not allow religion to split us.

We do not isolate ourselves from religion, but instead welcome adherents of all faiths.

My Rotary Club in Sri Lanka has a Christmas party every year, at which the Hindus and Muslims are just as welcome, and which we enjoy every bit as much as the Christians. This is exactly and absolutely the spirit of Rotary — that by sharing our traditions, by welcoming each other into our lives, we only strengthen the bonds of service, and our common humanity.

As a Hindu, I am honoured and deeply touched to have had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis earlier today, and to hear him tell DG Pino and me that we must continue with our immunisation until polio is eradicated and that may God bless us.

In fact, he asked us to pray for him.

This has given me even more pride in Rotary’s past, even more faith in its present, and even more optimism about its future, than ever before.

It has truly been a blessed day and as we leave this evening, we know that our paths will cross again as He wills. And we know that whatever your tradition, whatever your faith, your opportunity in Rotary and your challenge are the same: to put Service Above Self and Be A Gift to the World.

Whatever your tradition, whatever your faith, your opportunity in Rotary and your challenge are the same: to put Service Above Self and Be A Gift to the World.

RI President K R Ravindran

often reach a wider audience. A poll published earlier this year found him to be one of the most liked and trusted world leaders.

That’s what made this event at the Vatican so appealing, says Adriana Lanting, who travelled from California, USA, to attend. “To have such a transcending figure together with a transcending organisation like Rotary in the same place is something I just couldn’t miss,” says Lanting, a member of RC Long Beach.

Madrid Zimmerman, another Long Beach member, isn’t Catholic but says Francis has a knack for touching people’s hearts regardless of where they’re from. “Rotary has the same effect. We

The plight of today’s refugees is really a litmus test for today’s compassion.

John Hewko, Rotary General Secretary

28 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

may have different ways of expressing it, but our action in helping others comes from the same place. This event is a reminder that we only have one goal and that’s to give service to those who need it. I think that’s the message I want to bring back to my club,” she adds.

After the Jubilee audience, Francis met with a small delegation of Rotary members led by RI President K R Ravindran. The Pope spoke to him about the importance of vaccinating children against polio and encouraged Rotary to continue its efforts against this disease.

Mitigating The Migrant Crisis In the previous week, Rotary hosted a panel discussion in Rome to highlight efforts to alleviate the plight of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 60 million people, including 11 million Syrians, have been displaced by war and violence over the last four years. Such extensive displacement has not been seen since World War II. In the discussion, moderated

by Vatican Radio, experts from the World Food Programme, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and UNHCR (UN

Refugee Agency) talked about ways to help migrants start over in their new countries.

Rotary General Secretary John Hewko, speaking on the panel, pointed to several initiatives Rotary clubs have undertaken to integrate refugees into society, including computer coding schools and a vocational training project in Rimini, Italy.

“The plight of today’s refugees is really a litmus test for today’s compassion,” Hewko said.

He encouraged the audience and panelists to use their connections to provide the resources and funding needed to address the humanitarian crisis.

After the panel discussion, Bonaventure Fohtung of RC Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise in New South Wales, Australia, said that Rotary and the Pope have the same agenda when it comes to helping migrants. Recently Francis took 12 Syrian migrants, three families including six children, back with him to the Vatican after visiting a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

“We need to go home from this event and set an example. Each club should do something. Just one thing to help these refugees can make a remarkable difference,” he added.

The two-day Rotary event in Rome, tied to the Vatican’s Jubilee of Mercy and dubbed the Jubilee of Rotarians by organisers from District 2080 (Italy), also included benefit concerts and three fundraising dinners for polio eradication.

Source: www.rotary.org

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives As on May 2, 2016 RI RI Rotary No. of Women Rotaract Interact Zone District Clubs Rotarians Rotarians

Rotary at a glance As on May 2, 2016

Rotarians

: 12,38,494

Clubs

: 35,325

Districts

: 535

Rotaractors

: 2,13,601

Clubs

: 9,287

Interactors

: 4,62,806

Clubs

: 20,122

RCC members : 2,04,125 RCC

: 8,875

5 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 4 4 4 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 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3220 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3271 3272 3281 3282 3291 3292 Total

105 63 111 68 74 80 94 93 63 68 59 96 111 76 81 87 109 72 124 86 148 98 64 126 143 120 137 132 134 96 77 147 82 102 74 79 60 107 186 125 152 98 4,207

4,405 2,988 4,835 2,883 3,232 4,144 5,283 2,202 2,574 3,517 2,270 4,001 3,171 3,290 2,132 2,063 3,781 3,008 5,567 3,699 7,959 3,486 2,282 5,386 6,010 5,446 5,251 5,009 4,229 3,945 2,097 6,264 2,951 3,835 2,443 3,009 1,102 1,865 5,513 3,389 4,035 3,549 1,58,100

200 128 384 417 523 256 605 283 204 535 256 377 277 224 84 114 189 278 1,067 374 1,235 311 111 324 309 574 283 264 227 229 270 516 364 590 243 344 162 330 755 279 680 457 15,632

50 40 188 37 52 97 64 44 43 34 15 47 56 54 30 10 48 34 70 53 141 72 12 41 50 110 77 78 11 86 73 158 52 41 15 39 38 28 203 116 54 99 2,660

211 105 369 90 101 439 228 104 144 128 30 101 144 174 36 85 49 48 215 125 378 174 40 293 421 289 105 385 68 229 188 419 135 189 99 66 14 35 79 23 111 99 6,765

RCC

166 37 111 29 54 349 139 135 332 126 91 119 54 98 122 146 71 49 70 100 142 109 81 157 149 46 46 39 119 126 78 301 129 171 42 70 13 35 181 38 557 94 5,121

Source: RI South Asia Office

Sangam of training, leadership and community service Rasheeda Bhagat Lauding Rotary’s role in putting up schools for special children in the State, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh seeks its help in setting up such schools in all the 27 districts of the State.

T

he Multi-District PETS and SETS for District 3261, 3030 and 3120 kicked off on a grand note in Raipur recently where RIPE John Germ, RI Director Manoj Desai and spouse

Sharmishtha Desai, and PDG Kamal Sanghvi landed in the Chhattisgarh capital on a private jet, chartered for the occasion.

When asked if this was his special way of pampering the RI dignitaries

for a gala event, 3261 DGE Major Deepak Mehta said, “Not really. On the day assigned to us for the MD-PETS, there were no convenient flights from Bhubaneshwar to Raipur, and RIPE Germ was on a tight schedule.”

RID Manoj Desai, RIPE John Germ with Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.

30 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

Welcoming RIPE John Germ with tilak.

But in Rotary, every challenge has a solution. DGE Mehta found his by requesting a Rotarian, D R Patnaik, who owns a nine-seater aircraft, to help out. “He willingly obliged, and we had to only pay for the fuel.” Thus the RI leaders landed in Raipur, where a colourful welcome awaited them.

club in India. The leaders reached the seminar centre in a horse-drawn carriage, which was preceded by a colourful army of tribal folk-artists and dancers, and accompanied by an Army Band requisitioned by Major Mehta. The elaborate welcome was complete with a group of priests

chanting vedic mantras and blowing conch shells.

Titled Sangam, the event kicked off with motivational speeches by Germ and Desai, and under the able leadership of PDG Kamal Sanghvi, and the incoming DGs from the three districts — Major Deepak Mehta (D 3261), Mahesh Mokalkar (D 3030) and Dr Pramod Kumar (D 3120).

Around 300 clubs from the three RI districts were represented at the training event, and “for us it was a historical event as this is the first time a multi-district event was being hosted at District 3261,” said its DGE Mehta. He added, “Sangam had information and knowledge imparted by the luminaries from the Rotary world, and a session on Leadership and Teamwork was addressed by Jyotiraditya Scindia, a Member of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh, who has helped Rotary projects in the past.”

Pomp, colour, prayer What is a major Rotary event in India without the pomp and the colour? Raipur too pitched in its share, not the least in the form of the welcome given to Germ in traditional Indian style with kumkum, flowers and aarti by the members of the all-women RC Raipur Queens, all dressed in pink sarees! With 114 women members, this is perhaps the largest women’s Rotary

It was a historical GXGPV CU VJKU KU VJG ſTUV time a multi-district event was being hosted at District 3261.

DGE Deepak Mehta

Private jet chartered for the occasion.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 31

With 114 women members, RC Raipur Queens is perhaps the largest women’s Rotary club in India.

Address by Jyotiraditya Scindia

School for Special Children A highlight of Sangam was the foundation stone laying ceremony of a school for special children, in which Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Scindia participated. Describing the project, Mehta said, “This is a very ambitious social

32 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

service project of District 3261 where the Rotary Club of Raipur Royal and Rotary Club of Raipur Queens have come together to set up a school for special children.”

He said Rotary has already set up schools for special children in Jabalpur, Mandla, Bilaspur and

Bhopal (not in D 3261). Lauding the work done by Rotary in serving the educational needs of special children, Chief Minister Singh announced that the Chhattisgarh Government would set up schools for special children in all the 27 districts of the State and sought Rotary’s help in this task.

A Rotary Peace symposium in Bengaluru Team Rotary News

From right: RID Manoj Desai, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, PDG R Badri Prasad, DG K P Nagesh and other delegates at the Symposium.

A

s Rotary approaches its centennial year and the world experiences increasing conflict between countries and communities, it’s an appropriate time to commemorate Rotary’s contribution to World Peace through peace fellows who serve as catalysts for peace and conflict resolution. TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, a member of the Rotary Peace Committee, who is spearheading the Peace initiative in India, was instrumental in organising a Centennial Peace Symposium in Bengaluru recently.

District 3190 and its DG K P Nagesh got sponsorship from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and financial support from Prestige Group, owned

by AKS member of the District, Rtn Irfan Razack. The planning and financing of the event was managed by the organising committee led by Rtn Suresh Hari.

The agenda focused on challenges and impact of Rotary’s programmes.

Local artistes and spiritual leaders participated. The result was a kaleidoscope of colourful and informative action — on the relevance of peace in today’s world of conflict. Cultural events on the theme of ‘Peace,’ sharing of experiences by Rotary Peace Scholars, highlights of the Rotary Peace programme and its impact on world community were part of the agenda.

While the initial phase of the event was meant to address the knowledge gap in Rotary Peace programmes, the following dinner event was more focused

on bridging the funding gap for the programme and was attended by TRF Trustee Gupta, RID Manoj Desai, distinguished donors, corporate heads and district leaders.

Outcome z

z

z

During the dinner event, a fundraising drive was started and DG Nagesh led by example by establishing a Peace Endowment of $25,000. Total funds generated: $200,000 by outright gifts and commitments.

Following the event, D 3131 have scheduled a Peace Symposium in February 2017 at Pune.

The impact of the Rotary Peace Programme has appealed to corporates and a ripple effect can be expected.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 33

Setting goals and

enforcing rules Rasheeda Bhagat At the Hyderabad meet Lakshya, RI Director Manoj Desai set goals for the DGs of 2016–17, while warning of consequences for any malfeasance.

I

t was a power and agenda packed meeting titled Lakshya that took place in the Pearl City of Hyderabad from April 16–18. It had several goals; RI Director Manoj Desai’s Think Tank — comprising RCs, RRFCs, RPICs and EMGAs — unveiled

Rotary India’s vision and achievements on Rotary’s important and focus areas.

These include membership, TRF goals, particularly during the Centennial year when the Foundation will be headed

by PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, and improving Rotary’s public image through a

constant engagement with the larger community.

The focus of the meet were of course the incoming DGs, and one of the important sessions was on goal setting for them — in membership and TRF. Addressing the DGs, RID Desai warned them that even though the goals set before them were challenging, there “is no room for fictitious growth, as such things are going to be dealt with very strictly. You also have to concentrate on getting more women members.” Against the global average of 22 per cent women in Rotary, in India, women’s membership stood only at 12 per cent.

Another important area was their presence on Rotary Central, or else the

From left: RIDN C Basker, RID Manoj Desai and Chair of Lakshya and EMGA Ravi Vadlamani.

work they do will not be recognised by the world.

It was also time, added Desai, when the DGs and other Rotarians would have to get real about bifurcation of Districts. “But while doing all this, your eye will have to be all the time on two of our important goals — WinS and Literacy.” Underlining the need for transparency, he said that electronic voting was the norm of the day and more and more of their votes should be done thus.

TRF Sacrosanct The RI Director told the DGEs that if they saw around them any hanky-panky in the way TRF funds were collected or disbursed, “blow the whistle immediately. TRF is sacrosanct and no irregularities will be permitted; please bear this in mind.”

Desai also urged the incoming DGs, who he calls his “Smiling Sheriffs” to be innovative in celebrating the TRF Centennial. If Indian Rotarians wanted to double their TRF giving goal and hit $26 million next year, they will have to be both imaginative and innovative in motivating people to give. Already special dinners had been planned in Mumbai, Goa, etc to honour the new AKS members, just as was the custom in Evanston where AKS members are regularly honoured through special receptions in Evanston.

Addressing the meet, PDG and RRFC Kamal Sanghvi said the DGEs should start planning from now on how “you will showcase to the world what you have done. You have to share your

I’ve been a Rotarian from 1988, but I’ve never seen an RI Director such as Desai. He is efficient, enthusiastic, and such a stickler for time.

RIDN C Basker

RI Director Manoj Desai with PRIP Rajendra K Saboo.

story of 100 years with the entire community, the world. So how will you do it, tell me?”

Among the suggestions received were marathons, cross country rallies and the like.

RRFC Raja Seenivasan urged the DGEs to concentrate on TRF funds, public image, “and don’t forget that our primary goal is to end polio now and forever.” He said this year India had raised $13.9 million.

RCs Rajendra Rai and Vijay Jalan pointed out how they should focus on increasing Rotary’s membership by getting women, younger people, etc.

“Membership is the most important internal priority of Rotary International, just as TRF’s priority was and is to get rid of polio,” he added. PDG Bharat Pandya unveiled details of RID Desai’s Strategic Plan, on which he was asked to make a presentation at the recently concluded COL. Chair of Lakshya and EMGA (Endowment Major Gift Adviser) Ravi

Vadlamani spelt out the details and nitty gritty of the Named Endowment Fund and Term Gift programmes.

“I know all of you, and all of us are all enthused and we hope to get for the TRF Centennial 100 new Named Endowment Funds in Zone V under the leadership of RID Desai.”

Expressing the hope that “we emerge No 1 in the world in this area,” he added that at present India was No 2 in Named Endowments and No 1 in Term Gifts. “But then we are the only ones doing Term Gifts,” he added.

EMGA Ashok Panjwani urged the incoming DGs to be alert to the fact that the coming Rotary year was the TRF Centennial and they should leave no stone unturned in getting maximum funds from their Districts.

Desai congratulated PDG A S Venkatesh (Venky) for being selected as the Lead Facilitator at the next International Assembly in San Diego and said, “No Indian has achieved this honour yet!” Venkatesh made JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 35

The Think Tank team.

a presentation on the art of making presentations, without fumbling and getting tripped by technological malfunctions.

Addressing the DGEs, RIDN C Basker said that by coming to the DG level “you’ve already proved that you are successful leaders. Now it’s time for action. Your training, at various platforms, including the International Assembly, is over.” Of course this will be a challenging year, what with the Centennial goals, “but you’ve been equipped with the necessary tools to meet that challenge.”

Becomes Desai’s fan!

Complimenting RID Desai for the meticulous manner in which he had planned and executed all the three meetings — Rotary News Trust meet and election of its Executive Committee, Goal setting for the DGEs and other training sessions — Basker said, “I’ve been a Rotarian from 1988, but I’ve never seen an RI Director such as Desai. He is efficient, enthusiastic and look at the way he conducted the entire meeting ... such a stickler for time, to the second. Watching him do this, I’ve become his fan!”

From left: DGE Shyamashree Sen, DG Sanjay Khemka and PDG Gowri Rajan.

36 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

If you see any hanky-panky in the collection or disbursal of TRF funds, blow the whistle immediately. TRF is sacrosanct and no irregularities will be permitted.

RID Manoj Desai

(Desai’s response in a lighter vein: “Every incoming RI Director profusely praises his predecessor!”)

Basker added that the concept and execution of the Think Tank conceived

by Desai was an excellent tool that was going to strengthen RI and “I am going to continue it with your support and hope to improve upon it.”

He told the incoming Governors: “You’ve set your goals very high, but I am sure you will not only deliver on them, You will do more than what you’ve promised!”

Lakshya Secretary Sam Patibandla and PDG Ashish Desai urged the DGEs to work hard to get the youth of India engaged in Rotary through various programmes, as RI was targeting Gen Next.

Dying, dying, dead TCA Srinivasa Raghavan The Lost Generation: Chronicling India’s Dying Professions

By Nidhi Dugar Kundalia Random House India Pages 246 Rs 350

T

here are many reasons why you should read this book but two stand out: one, it makes you wish you had written it because it was a topic waiting to be written about; and two, it fills you with nostalgia without even remotely trying to do so. No one who reads this will be left unmoved as he or she harks back to the past, and not such a distant one. As one reviewer described it, it is a wistful book which reminds us of how all the little things we had taken for granted have disappeared or are disappearing without our even noticing.

Nidhi Dugar Kundalia writes in a simple, accurate and evocative way.

As a journalist, she has adopted the reporting style of description, background and interviews. The stories that emerge are touching. She covers professions like the bhishti (waterman) who used to provide water where needed; the boat makers of Bengal, the rudalis (professional mourners, all female) of Rajasthan who stood in for upper caste women not allowed to break purdah; the letter writers of Bombay who are fast becoming irrelevant as India becomes literate; the ittar (scent) wallas of Hyderabad who are giving way to deodorants; the Urdu scribes of Delhi; the keepers of the genealogy in Haridwar; the street dentists whom one used to regard with a shudder; and so on.

There are many professions that have vanished. She has written about a mere eleven of the professions that

have vanished. But there are many, many more waiting to be written about. For example, the men who used to repair and tighten the old string and nivar cots when they began to sag; the men who, to remove the lumpiness, would open the rajais and beat the cotton with their harp-like instruments before filling the rajai again; the men who used to put kalai on the bartans (cooking vessels); the guys who used to clean your ears; and so on. It is a very long list.

Some of the professions the author laments are not strictly professions.

For instance, the kabootarbaaz of Delhi (pigeon racers) and the storytellers of Andhra. True, these people earned a living but that was sporadic and sometimes even annual. But they were part of the social scenery and an integral aspect of life in those days.

Their dwindling numbers are surely a reason for sadness. Another lifestyle swallowed up by T20 and television.

Everyone knows these professions were caste-based. As you read, two questions occur to you: what kind of a society was it that ordained and

ordered generation after generation of people to do the same thing forever; and what are these people doing now?

Has the disappearance of their profession led to a change in their caste also?

What caste would be assigned today to a driver or a computer-wallah?

And, god forbid, if you are an economist, you will wonder if the caste system was not, after all, a system of distributing GDP more equitably because everyone could make a living by doing very small but very necessary things, including ear-cleaning.

Was not the social inequity balanced by economic equity?

It was a low-level equilibrium, but equilibrium it was nevertheless.

Everyone had a clearly defined function in the village or town, for which he or she was paid, in kind usually.

But as those functions disappear into the mists of time and along with them the livelihoods they generated, India will have to cope with a new sort of labour market disequilibrium in which labour is homogenous and no one knows what he or she is supposed to do. „ JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 37

Data theft and sanitary napkins Rasheeda Bhagat Yes, there is a co-relation; data theft from BPO ushered secure environments where women couldn’t carry sanitary napkins to office.

I

Jaishree

t is heartening to know that the Tamil Nadu Government has played an exemplary role in getting incinerators installed in government schools, colleges and girls hostels, to ensure hygienic disposal of soiled sanitary napkins.

J Govindaraj, a Rotarian from RC Madras East, who is the Director (HR and Finance) of Glo Life Care Equipment Pvt Ltd, the market leader in India for making sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators, says that in the last two years alone his company has put in 14,000 incinerators in government institutions in the southern State.

This includes all the 70 Chennai Corporation schools, 780 Adi Dravida girls hostels, 552 BC and MBC hostels, and 32 juvenile homes for Rtn J Govindaraj

This trend started by distributing free sanitary napkins in Government institutions in Tamil Nadu, and was followed by ſVVKPI KPEKPGTCVQTU HQT their disposal.

38 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

girls. “The TN Government is in the forefront in this area and it helps that we have a woman Chief Minister in the State,” he says.

This trend started with the distribution of free sanitary napkins in Government institutions, which had to be followed by the fitting of incinerators for their disposal. Not only

have other Municipalities in Tamil Nadu followed suit, some other States such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are following this example, he says.

Some universities in Maharashtra have directed all women’s colleges to fit vending machines for sanitary napkins.

As women in many technology companies cannot carry handbags or clutch RWTUGU KPUKFG VJG QHĹżEG sanitary napkins have to be provided to them.

Govindaraj says that his company, which has an 80 per cent market share in sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators, sees exciting possibilities on working both with Rotary’s Wash in Schools projects as well as the huge number of toilets being built by major corporates under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “Rotary’s goals and our products are aligned and we are getting business also from the CSR projects being done by corporates.�

For instance both TCS and Airtel have announced an outlay of Rs 100 crore each for toilet building under the Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat scheme and oil marketing companies have announced the construction of 12,000 toilets on highways.

A chunk of this work has gone to Sulabh, which buys its incinerators from Glo Life Care.

Depending on the size and disposal capacity, the cost of incinerators ranges between Rs 20,000 and Rs 90,000.

passwords, happened. d. And suddenly customers who were transferring theirr proularly cesses to India, particularly banks, started auditing ng the environment in which BPOs erring worked, before transferring their business data to India.

At first they said no o hard disks, USB devices,, personal instruments or mobile phones would be allowed lowed mbers. inside the working chambers.

Then they said women’s men’s handbags or clutch purses would not be allowed inside ouldn’t the office. So women couldn’t carry anything, including ng sanitary napkins. “This enforcenforcement of a very secure business usiness environment actually turned the business for us. I recently visited a foreign bank’ss BPO in at there are Chennai and found that lockers outside; so if an employee receives a courier, it has to be left there, and can’t be taken inside ‌ companies have become that careful about data theft.â€?

The next logical step was to put in vending machines. His company, with annual sales of around Rs 7 crore, manufactures both on a 50:50 basis. Fitting vending machines is easier than installing incinerators as no pipes are necessary. But IT companies which are sensitive about capital expenditure, pass this on contract to their facility management teams, who load and stock the machines, even though the companies pay for

The Genesis It is interesting to learn from Govindaraj about how Tamil Nadu became the forerunner in this area. “Till four years ago, nothing much was happening in this industry in India.

Then the credit card fraud happened and data was being stolen from BPOs, cards were cloned and used abroad.�

Only after this the two-way verification, including onetime mobile

Some universities in Maharashtra have directed all women’s colleges to ſV XGPFKPI OCEJKPGU HQT sanitary napkins.

Electric sanitary napkin incinerator.

the napkins. Next comes the incinerators, which burn the used napkins.

On how an incinerator works, he says it has twin chambers; the dropping chamber to collect the soiled napkins from where they go to the burning chamber, where it takes upto 350–400 degrees to burn them.

There are timers in different models, and schools and colleges go in for incinerators as disposal of sanitary napkins clogs their drains.

When asked for solution for indiscriminate disposal of napkins from many homes, particularly slums, on roads, Govindaraj says his team is presently engaged in research on making much smaller models which can burn one napkin at a time. “When this model is ready, incinerators can be installed in homes.�

Hospitals of course have giant incinerators as do women intensive factories, he adds. „ JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 39

Welcoming chief guest, RID Manoj Desai and spouse Sharmishtha.

Exchange students recollect Hindustan and pav bhaji Jaishree Nostalgia, the Youth Exchange Conference of D 3060, celebrated the reunion of youth exchange students after 44 years.

I

t was a walk down memory lane for the 300 delegates from 20 countries who attended the Youth Exchange Conference at Goa. Each had fond memories of their sojourn in India as Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students when they had experienced India's warm culture and traditions during their stay with host families. Organised by District 3060, DG Parag Sheth and his team ensured that the guests had a memorable homecoming, packing the two days with knowledge resources and entertainment.

40 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

“Shukria! I cannot thank enough Vikrambhai for such a wonderful welcome back to India. I have truly found peace in my heart once again. I had left half my heart here when I went back to the US after completing my programme,” said Ann Flatt Smalley. She is one of the earliest RYE students who was hosted in 1973 by Rtn Rajnibhai Marfatia, the Founder-Chair of the International Youth Exchange (IYE) programme of D 3060. As for the Marfatia family, Ann’s visit was like “receiving our long lost daughter after 44 years. It was an emotional moment

and all of us wept with joy. She came here as a 16-year-old and today she is 60,” said Usha Marfatia.

Outbound RYE students from Districts 3000, 3030, 3131, 3140 and 3160 also participated in the meet and shared their experiences with their host families abroad.

The exchange alumni students have formed a group called ROTEX, through which they mentor the present RYE students.

The conference, titled Nostalgia, aims to promote understanding of Indian culture among the young guests.

Greeting the delegates, the chief guest, RI Director Manoj Desai talked about the youth oriented RI initiatives lined up for the future. Gen-next clubs and flexible clubs were being planned, and greening of Rotary had to take place through induction of younger members to bring down the average age of clubs.

“If Rotary has to realise its destiny, it has to be evolutionary at all times and revolutionary occasionally. Now is the time to be revolutionary as we have tremendous youth power that can change the world. If we could not change it, so what, we should now leave it to the youth.”

The programme offers a year of self-discovery and shapes youngsters to cope with diverse cultures and practices in an alien land, said the Event Chair, Vikram Sanghani.

A South Asian Regional Association (SARA) to promote youth exchange in South Asia will be formed and Rtn Terrance McNaughton, President of North American Youth Exchange Network, has offered to provide relevant resources for its formation.

The District began the programme in 1972 and has exchanged more than 75 students so far. "PRIP Kalyan Banerjee wrote our first Youth Exchange manual in 1981,” recalled Sheth. Though South Asia has over 40 Districts, only 10 are certified for

Nostalgia delegates dressed in fancy gear for the pool party.

youth exchange and only 1 per cent of 9,000 exchanges worldwide are from the region, although it constitutes 12 per cent of RI membership, he added.

Missing India Nostalgia was a collection of emotional nuggets with several ROTEX members speaking about their RYE experience and how it had shaped their lives.

Stine from Germany had got so used to the spicy pav bhaji and paani puri in India that when she went back home she found the German cuisine bland

Morning aerobics on the beach with Zumba Dance led by ROTEX Dina Ginwalla.

and tasting “paper-like.” Victoria from the US loved India immensely to prompt the comment: “Sare jahan se achha, Hindustan hamara” on Facebook.

It was the call of the soil for ROTEX Gilles Verniers of Belgium, who returned to India after completing his further studies to work as a faculty at the Delhi University. “My daughter, Aliya, was born here. We’re raising her in four languages and for her too, the question of being Belgian or Indian does not arise, as these are not mutually exclusive categories,” he said.

ROTEX Binish Desai from Valsad had flown to Chicago as an RYE student. He spoke about how the exchange motivated him to innovate.

Today he has ten patents to his name, the most significant being bricks made from paper waste. He has designed low-cost toilets using these bricks.

There was Dina Ginwalla of Bharuch who was flooded with job offers as a French interpreter, having learnt the language in her host country.

RI Alumni Relations staff Laura Higgs, DGs Nikhil Kibe (3030) and Subodh Joshi (3131) were the other guests who attended the meet. Classical music concert, aerobics on the beach and music by a Goan band entertained the visitors.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 41

Rotary Editors’ da Rasheeda Bhagat

I

t was an interesting and information packed two-day Rotary World Magazine Press Editors’ seminar that took place in Evanston on May 4 and 5. A great opportunity to put faces to names of fellow Editors I had only communicated with over mail, it also allowed us to compare the content of our magazines, exchange notes and

ideas and ruminate over the future of the regional Rotary magazines.

Ably moderated by PRID John Blount, who was the chief training leader at the International Assembly at San Diego in 2015, there were brainstorming sessions with the Rotary Communications team, led by David Alexander and admirably assisted by

Donna Cotter. Some of the most useful sessions at which the Editors lapped up information were how to get data from the RI headquarters, and, more important, who to get this data from?

Presenting Rotary’s global strategy and tips on how to use social media more effectively, Social Media Manager Andy Sternberg and Blount

ay out at Evanston kickstarted a discussion on the Editors’ sharing ideas and strategies on working together in the area of social media.

Web Manager Mark Olwick made a presentation on The New Web, and unveiled the strategy for providing Rotary.org as a platform for stories from regional magazines. The

Rotarian’s Editor-in-Chief John Rezek disclosed how The Rotarian plans its content, and its Art Director Jennifer Moody shared ideas on how different forms of design and types can transform content and make the magazine more visually appealing.

We also used the two days to brainstorm on how to connect with

A group picture of the Rotary World Magazine Press Editors with RI President K R Ravindran, Chief Moderator and PRID John Blount (on his right) and RI Chief Communications Officer David Alexander (seated extreme left).

our readers, the importance of branding and reaching Rotary’s message to our target groups. There were strong voices in favour of making the magazines more interesting by having general content which was not necessarily Rotary-specific.

Picture Courtesy: Günes Ertas Chairman, Turkish Rotary Magazine

PRID Shekhar Mehta Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission

W

LITERACY FOCUS

hile we pat ourselves for the milestones we have crossed in our journey to meet the goal of Total Literacy & Quality Education during the Rotary Year, 2015-2016, we should now to strive to keep up our promises to eradicate the scourge of illiteracy through RILM’s T-E-A-C-H programme. Based on the evaluation of our work, we need to strategise our way forward for the upcoming Rotary Year. Our work reports will also enable us to seek grant from The Rotary Foundation (TRF).

Hence, it is a call to all Rotarians and Inner Wheel Club Members in India to upload the detailed reports

of their accomplished work under each vertical of the ‘T-E-A-C-H’ programme. The steps are mentioned below: z Visit www.rotaryteach.org z Click on the ‘Member Zone’ tab at the top right corner z Clicking on ‘Project Upload’ tab provides you with names of each vertical under T-E-A-C-H z You can take a tour of each vertical to understand its utilisation and implementation. z To ‘View Uploaded Projects’ for reference, fill up the required information related to the ‘Category,’ ‘Rotary District’ and ‘Rotary Club’

to check all details related to a project under a particular vertical of the programme at a certain location on the scheduled date. z Click on ‘Project Upload’ and ‘New Project’ tabs to upload projects that you have not uploaded before.

To edit/modify your project, click on the ‘Update Project’ tab using your registered username and password.

Transparency in financing Asha Kiran children

You have all contributed generously for the education of the Asha Kiran children. RILM had committed to provide you with details of the children whom you have sponsored sponsor for undergoing the bridge cour course at our Asha Kiran centres until they are mainstreamed into government stream or government-aided schools. We have sc re received sponsorships for 17,000 children till date, but unable to provide you with details of children that you have sponsored due to non-availability of your email-id an and phone number.

En Enable us to assist you wit with details about your spon sponsored child/children DG Kamlesh Raheja inaugurates a workshop on Child Development organised by RC Trichur Central, D 3201.

44 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

under the ‘Child Development’ tab of www.rotaryteach.org by providing your DGs and Club Presidents with your contact details.

E-Learning for new-age learning

The condition of Wada region of Maharashtra that has been declared as ‘backward zone’ by the Maharashtra Government can never be fully imagined by those who are fortunate to be born in happy surroundings. The per capita income of the households populated by daily wagers, who work in the surrounding industrial area, is hardly

sufficient to keep the kitchen fire burning.

In such a scenario, RC Bombay Pier, D 3140, took up the responsibility of making the learning experience at 112 schools fun, well understood and easily accessible for students by imparting lessons through audio-visual modules as envisaged under the E-Siksha or E-Learning vertical of RILM. This is not a one-off case of Rotarians gifting new-age learning experience to school students. District 3051, led by PDG Ashish Desai, has already initiated e-learning classes at 3,610 schools.

The modules created in local languages are installed in LCD projector as an integrated product. The audio-visual representation of lessons helps to grab the attention of learners and leave a lasting impression on their minds.

While these two Districts have started their journey on charting the path of new-age learning through RILM’s ‘e-siksha’ campaign this year, it’s time for other districts to join the expansion of this electronic network of teaching-learning experience across India by visiting the ‘e-learning’ tab of www.rotaryteach.org.

Initiating Teacher Training

Rtn Nitya Gopalakrishnan conducts a teachers’ training session organised

by RC Greater Cochin.

V

imala Oak, a teacher developer trained by the Royal Society of Chemistry, has trained over 600 science teachers in the past six months.

Nitya Gopalakrishnan, an educational officer with Sikshan Bharathi, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Kochi Kendra, focuses on generating awareness among teachers about the needs and requirements of children having special needs. During her tenure as the President of

RC Tripunithura, she, along with fellow Rtn Thomas John, conducted workshops and seminars for around 4,000 teachers and parents of such children to spread awareness on children at risk and the support system required in schools located in and around Kochi. This District Chair, Child Development, RI District 3201, conducted ‘Master Training Programmes’ with the support of DG Kamlesh Raheja to train 75 teachers, special teachers, Rotarians and the parents of such children at RCs

Tripunithura, Greater Cochin, Milan, and Trichur Central.

The topics covered were — Basic characteristics of autism, cerebral palsy, hyper activity, Downs’ Syndrome and learning disability; signs and symptoms amongst the students.

RILM’s ‘Teacher Training’ vertical primarily focuses on developing the core skills of teachers comprising classroom management, leadership development, critical thinking, and innovative methods of teaching. Emphasis is also laid on education, pedagogy and communication skills, besides subject-based training, especially in Mathematics and Science, to assist the Central and States’ efforts to better the professional abilities and performance of teachers in government/government-aided schools.

RILM ties up with teacher training organisations and individual teacher trainers to positively impact the learning capabilities of children.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 45

Activities of Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India z

IWC Dombivli under D 314 created a happy school by painting walls and gates, classrooms with visual puzzles, donating e-learning modules, books for the library and sports equipment besides constructing water tanks.

z

IWC Panipat Midtown created a happy school by investing Rs 1.5 lakh.

z

Utkramit Prathmik Vidyalaya and Ghorabandha Madhya Vidyalaya, Telco, of Jamshedpur under D 325 were converted into happy schools by providing potable water facilities, constructing

Classroom furniture being donated by Inner Wheel Club Siliguri, IW District 324.

separate toilets for boys and girls, library, painting the classrooms, donating uniform and sports material to students, facilities for the school employees, besides initiating tree plantation on the school premises.

Members of IWC Dombivli, IW District 314, provide sports equipment to a school.

How to start teacher training

With Macmillan Publishers India Private Ltd entering into an agreement with RILM, Rotary Clubs can identify government/government-aided primary or elementary school/s in their area for conducting teacher training workshops, with the school principal/ management’s approval. Rotary Clubs may also approach schools funded

by Municipal Corporations, Zila Parishads and Village Panchayat.

Macmillan Publishers will build the capacity of government/ government-aided school teachers and thereby, improve learning outcomes in students by conducting teacher training workshops. The 46 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

z

IW District 308 has 15 Happy Schools

z

HRD Minister Smriti Irani highlighted at the Parliament, the Happy School created by IWC Gangtok, D 324, and inaugurated by the Education Minister of Sikkim.

z

PDC Dr Sayali Prabhu inaugurated 18 Happy Schools sponsored by IWC Sawantwadi.

activity-based interactive workshops for class XII-passed teachers will help to link India’s theoretical education with practical work and life skills by updating them with new pedagogies and subject development besides enhancing engagement with the curriculum. The agreement has come into effect from April 01, 2016.

Teacher-training camps to improve educational standard of out-of-school kids

RILM honed the teaching qualities of 40 teacher volunteers, who will spread the light of knowledge amongst outof-school children between ages 7 and 14, with assistance of ‘Shikshamitras

teachers’ training team’ at a four-day camp in Kolkata in May. Having imbibed the finer nuances of teaching from four ‘Sikshamitras’ at the camp, these teachers will impart education to 1,035 children screened and selected by our NGO partners under RILM’s Child Development or Asha Kiran project.

Earlier, 28 volunteer teachers involved in imparting education to Asha Kiran children, participated in a training programme of Udayrampur Azad United Club and Sitarampur Vivekananda Seva Pratisthan. The three-day programme was organised at Udayrampur Azad United Club of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

Grooming youngsters Team Rotary News Eighteen Interact clubs in a single year is no mean achievement and RC Batlagundu New Generation takes the credit.

Interactors in action — on a cleanliness drive.

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s the name suggests RC Batlagundu New Generation, District 3000, is situated in Batlagundu in Dindigul district, at the foot hills of Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu. The 40-member club was chartered in 2009. This year the club has reached out to the young student community residing in rural areas near the town.

The Club President M Rajkumar along with his team made plans to inculcate the spirit of service at an early age among the youth. Eighteen Interact clubs were formed in the village schools in and around Batlagundu. More than 5,000 students were educated on Rotary and its service to community.

“Students are the future of Rotary.

By installing Interact clubs in schools we are ensuring the development of the next generation of community leaders,” says Rajkumar.

RYLA programmes along with RC Karur Angels, career guidance workshops, motivational seminars and inter-school competitions were held in the schools. As all the schools were

Students are the future of Rotary. Interact clubs ensure development of the next generation of leaders.

located in poor rural areas, the Rotarians organised programmes to inculcate the concept of the WinS programme for the students to create fundamental awareness on cleanliness, avoiding open defecation and following clean sanitation practices.

The club built toilet blocks, basketball gallery, badminton court and provided school uniforms, fans and other furniture in some of the schools.

Meritorious students were given scholarships of Rs 10,000.

The Interactors are doing their bit for the community through service projects such as tree plantation, dengue awareness, adult literacy, water conservation, organic farming programmes and conducting rallies on social issues and ‘Clean-India’ themes.

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ROTARY NEWS 47

A lifeline for children Kiran Zehra

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fter a heart surgery, Farirai has returned home to Zimbabwe with a mended heart.

The four-year-old was suffering from a congenital heart disorder (CHD) that demanded immediate surgery. Rtn C J Singh explains how PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, who has been leading medical missions to Africa, was approached by different governments to help save lives of these children requiring heart surgery. Ten children from Zimbabwe and 20 from Rwanda were promised heart surgery and Farirai was one of them.

Between selection and surgery, these malnourished children have to survive three weeks. “African doctors use nutritional therapy during this period to help their treatment and recovery,” says Singh. The African Rotary Clubs fund the air fare of

the child and the mother (only in few cases the fathers come) to India and RC Chandigarh hosts them in India.

Heartline’s chronicle In 1996, RC Chandigarh was approached by a local poor family to save their child who was suffering from a congenital cardiac disorder.

“By the time the funds were allocated we had lost the child,” says Singh.

Saboo who was saddened by this incident announced at a club meeting that “no child suffering from any congenital cardiac disease will die for want of money,” and presented the idea of a novel project to provide corrective heart surgery for children and adults upto 20.

This $100,000 project named ‘Gift of Life’ was initially planned for two years to cover the cost of 50 operations. The Rotary Foundation provided a Matching Grant of $50,000.

The remaining funds were contributed by the club, District 3080’s Designated Funds, RI District 2630, Japan, and RC Ebingen, D 1830, Germany.

The club partnered with the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) which offered free operation and hospitalisation. With donations pouring in, 100 children were operated that year.

In 2005, a new born who was rushed to PGIMER was turned away as the hospital wasn’t equipped to operate on infants. Fortis Hospital at Mohali was approached and the child was saved.

Rotary then entered into an agreement with the Fortis Hospital and the project was renamed Heartline “and we are still going strong,” says Singh. He recalls the touching gesture of 9-year-old Khalina from Pakistan, “dressed in vibrant colours with matching bangles, who stood up on a chair and said ‘Mujhe khuda ne janam Pakistan mein diya, zindagi

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo (centre) and Dr T S Mahant (third from left) with beneficiaries.

Hindustan ne di. Hindustan Zindabad.

Pakistan Zindabad (I was born in Pakistan, but India has given me life.)’”

Indian Patients According to an Indian research study, nearly 1,80,000 children are born with heart defects each year and approximately 10 per cent of child mortality is caused by congenital heart disease.

Many children from rural India “simply return to their homes and count the days of their dying child as they cannot afford the surgical cost,” says Singh.

Till now, RC Chandigarh has saved

the lives of 440 children from India.

Club members have organised the stay and made arrangements for the treatment of six more girls from Rwanda. Dr Ashish Bhatia, COO (North and East), Fortis Healthcare Ltd, says, “It’s a project that is very dear to our hearts as it reflects our commitment to quality, compassionate patient care and is a support system for the underprivileged. A special thanks to Saboo, who started this project; his efforts to support the cause are tremendous.”

“If Sabooji is in town he makes it a point to receive the children and

welcome them with a warm smile,” says Singh. He says the team of heart surgeons led by Dr TS Mahant, Executive Director, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Fortis, Mohali, “work with interpreters to negate the language barriers. For them their best reward is the satisfaction that they get in the form of priceless smiles and joy on the faces of the parents.”

For RC Chandigarh, this is a continuing project and “we consider every child who needs cardiac surgery as our own, and do everything we can to save them,” adds Singh.

Old cars on new roads Team Rotary News

I

n its bid to highlight the historical monuments, art, culture and traditions of the ancient city of Allahabad and raise funds for its various humanitarian projects, RC Allahabad, D 3120, conducted a Vintage Car Rally.

Club Secretary Rtn Desh Deepak Arya said, “This is the third year we are displaying classic and vintage cars that are a piece of living history. People can

chat with the owners and take pictures of the car.” Pointing out the difference between a Classic and a Vintage car as categorised by car enthusiasts, he added, “Cars from 1919 to late 1940s are vintage cars. Those up to the late 60s are classified as classic cars.”

The rally was flagged off at the Allahabad Museum and went through the city “just like old times, observing traffic rules,” said Arya. More than three

dozen vintage and classic cars participated in three different rallies through the day, driving past places of historical importance. The rally highlighted the themes — Polythene Free India, Honour Traffic Rules, Love for our Rich Heritage and Elderly People, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Literacy Mission.

The museum authorities and the police department played a vital role in the execution of the rally.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 49

Immunising India Team Rotary GBI Earlier this year over 500 Rotarians from across the world travelled to India for National Immunisation Day (NID). They tell us why the trip was as important as ever.

T

his year, a group of 106 volunteers from Great Britain and Ireland, the largest to have ever travelled, headed to India to meet up with other Rotary International members from 17 countries including Belgium, Luxemburg, USA and Japan to carry out the immunisation of children across the country.

50 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

The response was encouraging in the effort to keep India polio free, after tremendous strides to eradicate the disease from the country. Although India was removed from the endemic list and declared free from polio in 2014, there is still the real risk of the re-introduction of the wild polio virus from cases found in Pakistan. It is

therefore essential that high levels of immunisation are maintained.

The aim of this year’s National Immunisation Day (NID) was to vaccinate over 172 million children under the age of five. That is a big project given that this figure is nearly three times the size of the UK population.

In order to help make this happen,

the Rotary office in Delhi designated five locations, Delhi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Bhidawi and Karnal, where the International Rotarian volunteers were placed to assist the local Rotary members.

Adrian Stabbins from the Rotary Club of Windsor and Eton, one of the volunteers who travelled to India this year, was taking part in the National

Immunisation Day for his seventh time and we caught up with him to ask him about his experiences.

Adrian explained, “There is a certain team spirit and camaraderie between the people who choose to go back each time and it is an opportunity to build relationships with other Rotarians from the UK and around

the globe. You really come to know broke out over water shortages in the the Indian Rotarians in particular country, resulting in one of the immufrom seeing their way of life and nisation programmes being cancelled.

Jannine Birtwistle from the visiting their projects; you have to stand back in admiration at the way Rotary Club of Guernsey who was they are trying to turn their society caught up in the riots commented, “It around. It is a tremendous experi- was a real shame that the immunisation couldn’t go ahead, but thankfully ence going out and working with these young people, who are so full the week after we left the project of mischief and fun despite the seri- was carried out. One thing we were ous nature of the work that is being extremely pleased about was that a health camp, which we had planned carried out.

For me personally, my vocational for the Sunday of our visit, still managed to take place. Although the experience as a dentist is invaluable turnout was not as high as expected, as it allows me to be comfortable in over 350 people of all ages came to close proximity to the children’s perthe camp, which provided check-ups, sonal space and I felt comfortable consultations and information on a helping the children feel at ease. My son who joined me on the trip is a range of health issues.

Despite the problems faced in businessman and he brought different skills to the table, ensuring the project Karnal, this year’s NID was still a huge success and was efficient and any we have seen such hurdles overcome in a improvement, not just quick and logical way.

It is a tremendous experiin the infiltration of Between us we immuence going out and working Polio but in the qualnised 200 children in with these young people, ity of life in the socijust two hours.” eties we have visited.

Adrian continued, who are so full of mischief It is great that so many “I grew up in a time and fun despite the serious Rotarians from Great when Polio was still nature of the work that is Britain and Ireland around in the UK. being carried out. continue to offer their I remember one of my support to the trip and classmates suffering from it. There is no denying that the the work we carry out continues to be invaluable.” threat the disease poses is much less Rotary International together today, however it is important we keep pushing to rid the world of Polio for with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USA), WHO and the good.”

The immunisation, which is Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation administered by two simple drops on for the Global Polio Eradication Inithe tongue, can be carried out easily tiative (GPEI) have eradicated polio by someone with no medical experi- from all but two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is ence, and is crucial in helping to keep polio at bay. Rotary hopes to con- every hope that in the next few years tinue to send out volunteers in future polio will be eradicated from these two countries making it the second disease years, until this type of immunisation after smallpox to be eradicated from is replaced with an injection, a procedure that would require medically the world. trained personnel.

Picture: Adrian Stabbins However, the group who travelled to Karnal in Haryana State, north of Reproduced from Rotary, Delhi, faced trials in the fact that the Great Britain and Ireland's area was affected by riots, which Regional Magazine.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 51

Doing good with TRF help

Healthcare for rural regions Kiran Zehra

R

I District 3040, in association with National Health Mission and TRF, conducted the RAHAT medical camp at 25 locations in and around Indore, treating about 80,000 patients. PRID Shekhar Mehta, Board member of the RFHA (Rotary for Family Health and AIDS Prevention), inaugurated the threeday camp.

PDGs Ravi Prakash Langer and Nitin Dafria, Chairman and Secretary respectively, of the RAHAT camp, ensured enough publicity to reach a maximum number of people, and proper systems were in place for its smooth functioning.

The main focus of these camps was maternal and child healthcare. Doctors and specialists provided a series of health awareness sessions focusing on nutrition, hygiene and birth control measures. Nutrition kits were also distributed and mothers were sensitised about malnutrition. Vaccination for measles, malaria, polio and pneumonia were given to children.

Artificial limb fitment camps were conducted at five different places.

The youngest beneficiary was Kiran Yadavi (10), who was delighted to receive her new arm. “It will help me with my school chores and now I can pack my bag easily,” she said. The

LN-4 arms were provided by Allen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation, USA. The health camp sites saw higher number of hypertension, diabetes, anaemia, cataract and breast cancer patients. The screened patients were referred to hospitals in Indore for follow-up.

“This has been a great partnership experience, focusing on reaching the community’s most remote regions,” said DG Sanjeev Gupta. Despite the development in the healthcare sector, reaching majority of the people from far-flung areas to access good medical care is a big challenge, and Rotary is bridging the gaps. He lauded the clubs,

From right : PDG Nitin Dafria, DG Sanjeev Gupta and PRID Shekhar Mehta at the inauguration of the medical camp.

52 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

Beneficiaries registering for medical treatment at a camp site.

team of doctors, paramedic staff, Rotaractors, Interactors, Innerwheel members and volunteers who ensured that the proceeding at the camps went on smoothly.

Marion Bunch, Founder and CEO, RFHA, who travelled from US to participate in the camp said, “The programme and the Rotarians really exceeded our expectations. We were impressed not only with the big sites, but also the specific systems you put into place.” She also noted that the entire process — right from when the beneficiary walks into the camp, fills out the registration form, gets a diagnosis by a general doctor, proceeds to a specialist, etc — is comprehensive.

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR

At the end of the movie — the cowboy rides away

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estern movies were the most popular film genre for several decades, and they were well known around the world. In many of them, after a victorious battle between the good guys and the bad guys, the hero would accept the appreciation of his friends and supporters — and then ride off alone into the sunset.

I won’t be alone due to my Rotary friends, but I will be riding into the Rotary sunset on 30 June, and I can’t avoid the comparison, because my life has been much like a movie for more than 50 years. From the time I was selected as a Rotary Scholar in 1959, good things started happening for me, and they have continued in much the same way as they did in the heartwarming movies of yesteryear.

Due to my Rotary Foundation scholarship to study in South Africa, my life has been an amazing adventure.

I never dreamed when I was sailing from New Orleans to Cape Town on a Lykes Line freighter ship in 1961 that I would be the presiding officer at the 2011 Rotary Convention in that same port city of New Orleans exactly 50 years later. But it happened, and I truly have a deep

appreciation and passion for The Rotary Foundation.

I also am fortunate that I found a way to utilise my farm heritage with the music and lyrics of “Cowboy Logic” and the wisdom of the Code of the West as recited in the book Cowboy Ethics. It has been a signal honour to play a role in the fantastic story of Rotary as it has emerged onto the world stage. But above all else, I am proud to acknowledge that I am a living, breathing product of The Rotary Foundation — because I was a Rotary Scholar.

Ray Klinginsmith Foundation Trustee Chair JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 53

Doing good with TRF help

Avvai School gets a 3-Star Sanitation Block Varsha Makhija A spanking new toilet block at a Chennai school meets the three-star status laid down by UNICEF.

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eacting to the neatly done up toilet block facility, where every minute detail has been taken care of, at the Avvai Home Orphanage School in Chennai, TRF Trustee and WinS Global Chair Sushil Gupta says, “I’m very impressed. It’s not a three-star but a six-star toilet,” as he enters the building.

Here there are 19 toilets with modern facilities including one special toilet with railings on the side, enabling access for wheelchairs for physically challenged students. A group hand wash station has also been set up inside the building with 16 Jaguar taps. No expense has been spared on excellent, high-quality, state-of-the-art equipment.

Apart from the toilets, there is an exclusive room, with an incinerator and a vending machine, for hygienic disposal of sanitary napkins. This provides relief to the teenaged girls who dread coming to school during their monthly menstrual cycle, due to lack of proper facilities and privacy. The toilets will benefit nearly 760 students, maintaining a 1:40 student-toilet ratio in accordance with UNICEF requirements.

A three-star model, according to UNICEF norms, fulfils criteria such as providing clean water for drinking

54 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

as well as for the bathrooms, genderspecific toilet facilities for boys and girls, facilities for hygienic menstrual management, group-hand washing facilities and WinS awareness.

Depending on the fulfilment of the list, the toilets are classified as one-

star, two-star or three-star, explains Arun Dobhal, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF. Gupta praised the project and encouraged group hand washing sessions at the school, with songs/rhymes such as “Hum haath saaf karenge,”

TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta being greeted by a student as Club President Ganeshan Suppiah and Sangamithra Director Mohan Raghavan look on.

From left: DG C R Raju, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, PRID P T Prabhakar, PDG ISAK Nazar and Club President Ganeshan Suppiah.

(we will wash our hands), making it a fun activity for the children. “This will bring about a behavioural change among students. They are the agents/ catalysts of change,” he said. Educating children on hygiene will trigger a snowball effect, as they in turn will carry the message to their homes/families and the parents will also change, bringing about societal change. “The change in attendance patterns must be measured before and after setting up improved sanitation facilities to ascertain actual benefit from the project,” he added.

Rtn PHF Ganeshan Suppiah, President, RC Madras Coromandel, D 3230, said his club has Interact clubs in two schools including the Avvai Home School. As a result of their long-standing association with Avvai Home, they decided to set up a toilet block there. The project was started in May 2015, when the Interactors studying at the school put forward a request.

This hygiene awareness programme will bring about a behavioural change among students. They are the agents/ catalysts of change.

— TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta

It was decided to set up a toilet block, under a Matching Grant of $53,000, along with their International partner, RC Colombo Fort, District 3220.

The Avvai Home Orphanage and associated Schools is a non-profit organisation established in 1930 by late Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy to educate orphaned girls and deserted women irrespective of caste, creed or social status. Most of the students are poor. “I was looking for sponsorship

to construct a toilet block and this project came up. It was like a godsend for me,” said V Susheela, Honorary Secretary and Correspondent of the Institute, which has 185 girls.

She requested the Rotarians to set up another toilet block in the primary school campus as well.

The District Rotarians, under the leadership of DG C R Raju, have embarked on the WinS project in an ambitious way. The goal is to construct over 600 toilets, with one-star, two-star and three-star facilities, in partnership with UNICEF. “The toilet block at this school will serve as a benchmark for other toilets,” said Raju.

PRID and India National WinS Chair P T Prabhakar, WinS Zone Coordinator PDG ISAK Nazar, PDG Krishnan V Chari, PDG Benjamin Cherian, PDG G Olivannan, Rtn Mohan Raghavan, Director — Project Sangamitra and other Rotarians participated.

Pictures by K Vishwanathan JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 55

A colourful Convention at Seoul Rasheeda Bhagat

W

hen over 43,000 people from 100 different countries and cultures converge in one place, wearing vibrant colours, speaking different languages and flashing smiles of hope and optimism, the resulting spectacle can be imagined.

The hi-tech city of Seoul, in its even more hi-tech Kintex facility, about an hour’s drive from the city centre, hosted the 2016 RI Convention of RI President K R Ravindran. It had promised to be a Convention with a difference. I met people from Africa, India and the US who proudly said this was their 9th, 15th, or even 19th Convention, but they all agreed that this was one of the best organised events ever.

As Convention Co-Chair and RIPN Ian Riseley put it, Korea is a “strong Rotary country,” a leader in technology and yet has retained its sense of history. The hosts had pulled out all the plugs in ensuring smooth transfer of the tens of thousands of delegates from their hotels to the convention venue.

Coaches were arranged from hotels and these plied with a clockwork precision that reminded one of what they say about Swiss trains. Well, almost … because when a guest said “just one minute more, my friends are coming,” the request was allowed with a smile.

Even though a few halls of Kintex1 had to be put together for the inaugural and some other events, the opening session had to be done in two parts; one in the morning and another in the evening. For what hall can seat 43,000 people at a time?

An early bird for the first inaugural session, I was surprised to see

56 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and spouse Vinita honour RIPE John Germ and Judy Germ at the South Asia Reception in Seoul.

Ravindran come to the venue well ahead of time, and go around the hall exchanging pleasantries with former RI Presidents and their spouses, former RI Directors, TRF Trustees and of course many, many friends that he had in the audience. “Well, that’s Ravi for you,” exclaimed PDG J B Kamdar from Chennai.

A visitor drops in Even as Ravindran was making his opening remarks, there was a loud, and rather rude clearing of the throat … until you realised that this was done by a virtual visitor … Paul Harris himself!

With the aid of technology, the Rotary Founder was brought to the venue and the giant screen showed Ravindran engaging Harris in a conversation, and telling him: Look where the little

organisation you founded over a century ago has reached!

The delegates were treated to a host of eminent speakers and world leaders.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean statesman and politician himself, who has hinted that he might make a bid for the Korean Presidency in next year’s election, addressed the opening and urged Rotarians to keep going till “zero polio case” was achieved in the world. They had worked so hard, and needed to keep the pressure on their governments to ensure that polio was demolished forever from the world.

He lauded Rotarians for giving hope to so many people and for working to make our world a much safer place.

Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn applauded Korean Rotarians for working so hard towards polio

South Asia Reception The colourful South Asia Reception hosted by RI Director Manoj Desai, displayed his popularity in the RI Board with most of the present senior leadership from the Board and TRF

rotary.org

eradication and for emerging as one of the “strongest per-capita supporters of The Rotary Foundation.” He congratulated Rotary for its service projects across the world.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed the inside story — from the Government’s side — of the tremendous role played

by Ravindran in ridding Sri Lanka of polio and ensuring “that we’ve had a polio-free Sri Lanka for the last 20 years” (Detailed report in the next issue).

He urged Rotary, and other service organisations, to play a much bigger role in supporting their governments, particularly in the social sector. Most countries were facing budget cuts in this area, and service organisations could help funnel in private funds and their expertise to help governments in areas such as healthcare, education, sanitation.

RI President K R Ravindran and Vanathy at the 3K Walk for Peace.

turning up. Surely it was more than love for the delicious Indian food that had been lined up by the organisers PDGs Ravi Vadlamani, Venky and TVR Murthy that drew them in.

Ravindran came with his entire family, including his granddaughter, 18-month-old Raika, who, according to his aide Barry Rassin, “is the only one who can completely manipulate her grandfather!”

From left: PRID Y P Das, PDG Sajjan Goenka, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo and PRID Ashok Mahajan.

President Elect John Germ and Judy were there too. It was a fine display of the Indian ethos of warm hospitality when PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and RIDN C Basker joined Desai and spouse Sharmishtha at the entrance of the banquet hall to welcome the guests as they piled in. While both Ravindran and Germ were honoured with the traditional Indian shawl and turban, the speeches were kept to a minimum with just the RI President and his successor addressing the guests.

Ravindran said the South Asia region and the Zones (4,5 and 6A) could pat themselves on the back for doing a wonderful job whether in “membership or projects and emerging right at the top” of the Rotary world and helping to make a difference in the world. As he gets ready to hand over the presidentship to John Germ in “a legacy of continuity” at the Board, where he started with “many as strangers but who have now become very good friends,” he does so knowing he has done his best to discharge the tremendous responsibility given to him.

Budgets had been tightened to save money, processes streamlined and the perfect sync in which he worked with Germ and Riseley would ensure JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 57

From left: PDG Ravi Vadlamani, Sharmishtha Desai, Vanathy Ravindran, RI President K R Ravindran, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo and RI Director Manoj Desai at the South Asia Reception.

continuity of the efforts to make Rotary a great organisation.

“I am often asked, am I sorry to leave? No, I am not. I will be very happy to have my life back, to wake up in my own bed in my home, and to greet my granddaughter at breakfast every morning … and hope to forget about airports and aircraft for a very long time!” Wickremesinghe, who is a good friend of Ravindran, said at the Convention opening: “We’ll be happy to have him back in Sri Lanka.”

Germ congratulated Ravindran for “preaching and practicing continuity,” and had high praise for Indian Rotarians. “You used to be a receiving country and most of the grants would once go to India. But now you have become a giving country,” he said, and urged Indian Rotarians not to rest 58 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

I will be very happy

not equals. We should be embarrassed about this and make all efforts to treat them as equals.”

to have my life back, to wake up in my own bed in my home, and to greet my granddaughter at breakfast every morning.

RI President K R Ravindran

on their laurels but continue the great work they were doing.

Striking a sombre note, he said he was coming from a Rotaractor meet and found that “they don’t believe that Rotary respects them at all. They feel Rotarians look at them as labour and

Walk for peace Another highlight of this Convention, aimed at enhancing Rotary’s public image, was the 3 km Peace Walk, where senior leaders turned up in their traditional dresses. With huge numbers of Korean Rotaractors and Interactors turning up in traditional and colourful Korean costumes … with the yellows and the reds and blues predominating, and huge Rotary placards filling up the space at the Seoul Plaza and the Gwanghwamun Square, the message must have surely gone home to thousands of Koreans.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

Midnight Marathon Kiran Zehra

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nto its ninth year, the Bengaluru Midnight Marathon (BMM), under the theme Run for a Happy Bengaluru, thundered recently to an explosive start at the IT City premises. The 10-km marathon is the flagship event of RC Bangalore IT Corridor, D 3190, and the State Bank of India. For Club President Nitesh Shah who saw this event grow

kept the festive atmosphere alive through the night,” says Shah. He also points out that this marathon is unique because of its timing.

The race was flagged off by the event’s brand ambassador Milkha Singh, aka the Flying Sikh, and “when the participants surged through the starting point it looked like the Wildebeest Migration (over two million animals migrate from the Serengeti National

promoting healthy workouts. World Boxing Champion Mary Kom and veteran sprinter P T Usha also attended the event.

With over 11,000 runners comprising 28 corporate teams, IT/ ITES companies and individuals from various States and 21 countries participating, this annual event has become akin to a festival that everyone in Bengaluru looks forward to each year, he says.

Milkha Singh flagging off the Marathon.

“from the size of a few hundreds to over 13,000 participants this year, it was a great feeling.” The event was launched by ace badminton player Saina Nehwal.

“The entire trail was lit up like a carnival with fun activities lined up to entertain onlookers. A rock show followed by cultural performances

Park to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Africa) that has been declared as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, and also known as the world cup of wildlife,” adds Shah.

Other races during the day included a 10 km-run for women, followed by a similar one that had celebrities rubbing shoulders with the runners and teams

Rajani Mishra, Chief General Manager, SBI adds that “watching Bengalurians run for good health becomes more worthwhile as the money thus raised is used for charity.”

The BMM fundraiser brought in Rs 3.78 crore and the money will be used to support various deserving charities across India.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 59

A feisty police officer Robin Gupta

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hat is immediately striking about the biography Caught by the Police is the deep reverence of the children for their father. The book is co-authored by Ranjit Gupta, former Indian Ambassador, Harsh Gupta, I A S, former Chief Secretary, Himachal Pradesh, Meera Yog, HoD, English, Lucknow University, Madhukar Gupta I A S, former Union Home Secretary and Deepak Gupta I A S, incumbent chairman, Union Public Service Commission as a tribute to their father, Dr Anandswarup Gupta, who laid the foundation for the Himachal Police force as its Inspector General. He set up the Bureau of Police Research and Development in the Home Ministry, Government of India.

Spanning a century, the book mirrors the life and times of Anandswarup Gupta and his traditional family, living initially in the small town of Mainpuri, in the erstwhile United Provinces, and later straddling the sub-continent through a lifetime of recognised public service. While he helped in modernising the police force his brother joined the hallowed Indian Civil Service, and served the Bengal province with distinction. Another sibling was appointed Judge of the Allahabad High Court. The book captures the nuances of the British colonial administration, its racist response to India’s aspirations as a nation seeking selfdetermination and independence. One also gets a peep into some of the fine British traditions in providing stable administrative structures as well as the thoroughness of British rulers

60 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

in holding together, a disparate subcontinent with steeply uneven levels of economic development.

This book is a compelling commentary on the last days of the British Raj in India and the difficult period of transition that followed to the Independence of the country. We also become privy to vignettes of a fledgling democracy in motion.

Unlike legends of kings and palaces, colourful extravaganza and splendid profligacy, the story of the Gupta family is an exemplary saga of disciplined and focused lifestyle, invariably accompanied by success.

The family was known for high intellectual pursuit, frugal and disciplined living and maintaining the traditions of a joint family in a rapidly changing social milieu. Modesty of means remained a constant feature in the family but it was never seen as a shortcoming. It rather acted as an impetus, instilling in children of each generation a fierce desire to excel in their studies and other endeavours.

In Allahabad, it was understood that if there was a Gupta boy, he would stand first in the University.

Indeed, all nine siblings stood first in class. In the years that followed this remarkable family covered itself with distinction in all fields of governance at a time when the British rulers spared no efforts in axing Indian candidates, coming down heavily on the Indianisation of the imperial services.

In what proved to be a tragic saga, Gupta, who was selected for commission in the Royal Air Force in 1934, in a short period of over one year, owing to his all-round excellence as a trainee,

in which he left behind English candidates at the Cranwell Academy, he was boarded out on medical grounds.

He was deliberately administered medical treatment that made him sick and then dangerously ill. Thus the gifted officer’s sense of exhilaration and feeling of sheer power and freedom as he soared to the skies during his first sortie in England, crashlanded his career in the Royal Air Force owing to racist prejudice exhibited quite flagrantly at the Academy.

Gupa returned to India a medical wreck, without a job and yet not a graduate. In a cuttingly incisive comment on the British sense of fair play, Gupta observed, “So far as I am concerned I think it is very difficult for an Indian and an Englishman to be really sincere friends … if you think someone is vain or trying to impose himself on you, leave him severely alone. But do not quarrel with him. Never lose your dignity and respect.”

And yet, aided by deep reservoir of inner strength and spiritual insight, he was able to cure himself of the disease and disability, completed his BA course, and joined the Indian Police force in 1939.

Throughout his career, he never let go of his muse; he kept up with his

writings, despite having to deal with dusty files and criminal records. Some of his rare verses are shared at the end of the book.

The book is written in Queens’s English and directly addresses matters in hand. It reveals in Gupta, the complex phenomena of a committed nationalist Indian with refined English sensibilities; something of a Macaulay’s child and a misfit in the police force, which however benefited from his visionary command.

This is one of the few books that capture the sensitive beauty of family circumstance and close relationships in a quiet town about which not much has been written unlike the dramatic stories and legends of turbulent Bengal or Punjab.

The authors wax eloquent while describing the Indian festivals and

seasons; ‘The first one in the year was Basant Panchami, the harvest festival of India, and the harbinger of spring when handkerchiefs would be dyed in yellow, the colour of rejuvenation, followed by Holi, the festival of colour and goodwill. Red flowers of the Flame of the Forest tree would be used to make natural red colour. After summer came monsoon when Teej would be celebrated with mehndi, jhoola and songs of nature’s beauty, the rain and love. This was followed by Raksha Bandhan, the special festival for brothers and sisters. And then came the birthday of Lord Krishna with jhankis and tableaus depicting Krishna’s birth. This, in turn was followed by Dashera — celebrating Lord Rama’s defeat of Ravana; triumph of good over evil.

Diwali followed — return of Lord Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya.’

This book is recommended for all aspirants to the civil services, institutes of public administration and students of the socio- economic history of modern India.

Above all, it is a beautifully written biography of love and relationships of a closely knit family that successfully overcame the slings and arrows of misfortune at a time when the British government, which had dug its heels in its attempt to stay on in India, was firmly shown the door.

(The writer is a retired IAS officer and author of the book: And what remains in the end.)

A day of Sunshine Team Rotary News

N

inety years ago, as members of RC Calcutta, D 3291, concluded their regular Tuesday lunch at the Grand Hotel, children from poor families queued outside the gate of the hotel to run behind their cars, begging for money, recalls Rtn Amit Ghosh. “The club received an anonymous letter

on November 17, 1925, that spoke of the cars of Rotarians seen outside the Grand Hotel every Tuesday and went on to say that if these cars were parked outside an orphanage or an old age home, it would be a better sight.

It also suggested that Rotarians could contribute some amount and perhaps their wives could arrange for a sumptuous tea for the less-privileged people.

We guessed the letter to be from a Rotarian,” says Ghosh.

Next month, the first Sunshine project was executed and 200 underprivileged children from five institutions in Kolkata were picked up in Rotarians’ cars and driven to the Chandpal jetty and the Botanical Gardens. A day of feasting and sports ensued. From then on, the ‘Annual Children’s Treat’ became a tradition of the club. This year Rotaractors and Interactors helped in picking up children from various schools and institutions and escorted them.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 61

Simple Economics

The History of Income Tax

TCA Srinivasa Raghavan

B

enjamin Franklin, when he was not inventing bifocal lenses and lightning rods, was busy founding the USA. He was many, many other things as well, but the one thing he is most remembered for, at least outside the US, is his remark that “only death and taxes are certain.”

Actually, not. While he was dead right about death, the certainty of taxes — especially the dreaded income tax — is quite open to debate. The reason: it hasn’t, as so many people think, been around since the beginning of time. In its present incarnation it is just about 200 years old.

The first time it was imposed, however, was in the 10th century by an optimistic Chinese emperor, who was soon thrown out because the people didn’t like it. The first income tax in recorded history had lasted for all of 13 years.

After that there was a gap of 800 years — yes, 800 — until someone in Britain thought of imposing it. This was when that country was fighting Napoleon and needed all the money it could garner for financing the wars. But the British are nothing if not practical — once Napoleon had been defeated in

The political appeal of income tax led Indira Gandhi in 1972 to increase the marginal rate to 97 per cent!

62 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

1815 the income tax was abolished the very next year in 1816.

Things returned to normal and it was not until 1850 that it was reimposed. The purpose was quite nefarious. Britain had undergone a series of electoral reforms aimed at enlarging the electorate. But the rich were not about to share power with the poor by allowing them to vote. So they imposed income tax to disenfranchise the poor — no tax, no vote. This went on for another two generations by which time, thanks to more electoral reforms, it had become impossible to exclude the poor. Also,

Britain now needed money to maintain the Empire. Then came the Second World War and Britain lost the Empire.

But now money was needed to pay doles to the unemployed. So income tax stayed on.

US — A Latecomer The US was a latecomer to this tax.

It didn’t start till 1861 and then only because the Lincoln Government had to finance the Civil War. But as soon as that war was over, it repealed the tax in 1865, only to re-impose it in 1894 to finance its armies which were

The income tax forces the productive parts of society to pay for the upkeep of those who contribute absolutely nothing to it.

expanding throughout the Americas now. It has stayed on since then for exactly the same reasons as in Britain.

India has been less lucky. The British Government, when it took over the governance of India from the East India Company in 1860, immediately imposed an income tax to help it govern India better. But there was a lot of protest and it was abolished 13 years later in 1873. However, it was reintroduced in 1886 when it became clear that some of the costs of British administration would have to be paid for by Indians

W

hen incoming district governors gathered in San Diego for the International Assembly in January, they began preparing for The Rotary Foundation’s year of centennial celebrations in 2016–17.

The district governors-elect also got a sneak peak of Doing Good in the World, a behind-the-scenes look at the Foundation’s rich history, from founder Arch Klumph’s initial proposal at the 1917 Rotary Convention up to the latest humanitarian grants.

Governors received complimentary copies of the book, and author David C Forward, Governor of District 7500 (New Jersey, USA), addressed the gathering and signed copies.

“I have circled the globe to research and write and speak about the story of Rotary in action, and I have never been as proud to be a Rotarian as I am today,” Forward said. “This is something I can give to a town’s

and Englishmen working in India. It has remained since then.

But the rationale for it has changed over the years. As mentioned above, originally it was seen as no more than a device to finance wars. Once the war was over, it would be abolished. But during the 20th century, thanks to the threat of communism, and the need for income re-distribution, it has become a tool of politics.

But now that the communist threat has vanished, it has morphed into a war against inequality. Democracy needs the income tax to set the poor up against the rich in order for politicians to win elections. It is thus purely a political tax. It serves no economic purpose at all. If anyone argues the opposite, please ask him to prove it.

In fact what has happened over the 20th century is that the income tax has been accepted as the norm. An entire philosophy has been developed by fuzzy-headed middle-class intellectuals that the income tax is a moral tax.

Paying it is now an act of virtue, even though everyone knows that it is used by politicians to finance their election.

The political appeal of the tax led Indira Gandhi in 1972 to increase the marginal rate of income tax to 97 per cent! Just imagine that.

Everyone has preferred to ignore a fundamental fact: that the income tax forces the productive parts of society to pay for the upkeep of those who contribute absolutely nothing to it. In that sense, it is exactly the zakat, tithe, daan and so on. The only difference is that those taxes were collected by religious bodies, which had a moral imperative, while this tax is collected by elected governments, which have none.

The consequences for India have been very perverse, as can be seen from the growth of ‘black’ money which is called black only because politicians can’t get hold of it via the income tax.

They forget that lower the income tax rate, the less will be the amount of ‘black’ money.

Start planning for the

TRF centennial Mayor to help him or her understand the value of having a Rotary club in the community, or new members to help them become more engaged, motivated, generous Rotarians.”

Now is the time to start planning your club or district’s centennial celebration. In addition to spreading the word about the book, now for sale at shop.rotary.org, you have lots of ways to let your members know about the Foundation: • Dedicate club meeting time to Foundation topics each week. Share how your local and international projects are improving lives through Rotary’s areas of focus.

• Continue The Rotary Foundation’s legacy of humanitarian service by

participating in a global grant or district grant project and dedicating it to the centennial.

• Challenge members to increase their contributions to the Foundation. Encourage them to give through Rotary Direct and to join the Paul Harris Society by contributing $1,000 or more annually.

• Start organising a centennial event in your community and use it to educate your local media about Rotary and its Foundation.

• Download the centennial promotion tool kit, which includes resources for planning and promoting activities, at www.rotary. org/foundation100.

Reproduced from The Rotarian JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 63

A very special partnership Revathi Suresh

I

n news that should bring cheer to the families of young people with special needs, NGO V-Excel Educational Trust has partnered with Wassup On-demand Laundry Brand to create employment opportunities for individuals with mild to moderate disabilities (including Autism, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Disorders).

The programme

In a scenario where individuals with special needs rarely ever get the chance to transition from family support to having independent livelihoods, this kind of partnership with private enterprise comes as a welcome initiative that should encourage similar efforts from others working in the field.

Young women, men and youth in the age group of 18–30 years have been chosen for the job, and trainees will be inducted in batches of eight. Though the pilot programme will involve only one Wassup centre to start with, if successfully implemented, it may result in collaborations in other centres and cities too.

According to V-Excel’s PRO Charumati Sriram, what makes the Wassup job ideally suited to the ‘special’ candidates is the combination of learning and therapy it involves. The vocation offers sensory integration through textures and temperatures; gross and fine-motor skills are improved through chores such as buttoning and unbuttoning, folding, sorting, etc; the work helps with eye-hand coordination; the strict sequential routine is especially advantageous to individuals with special needs who require regimented activity in 64 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

their daily lives; the job reinforces the concepts of colour, number, time and money; it helps improve concentration; the employees gain some technical knowledge and learn safety management; the rewards are immediate — they are able to see the results of their labour, and see customers go away satisfied.

Most importantly, the fact that they have been given the opportunity to earn a living helps boost the self-esteem and self-confidence of these special individuals.

Dr Vasudha Prakash, Founder-Trustee, V-Excel says, “Generally, the reactions from family members has been positive and everyone is enthused about the direction of the programmes. The vocational training programmes have immense scope for financial independence and dignified living.” But she is also quick to add

that these are early days yet and that “there haven’t been any stark challenges at this point given that the programmes are still rather in their infancy. It took us some time to identify those trainees who possess the necessary skills for vocations and we are now building on those strengths, so that eventually, they themselves will be in a position to train others.”

Ali Asgar Lohani, one of the candidates chosen in the first batch, is a 19-year old, non-verbal young man who has cerebral palsy combined with mental retardation. His musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs) with deviation at the wrist meant that he

Ali Asgar Lohani

had many kinds of difficulties with manipulation, coordination, and fine motor skills and could not hold small objects like beads, for example. But now his mother Shirini is delighted that therapy and exercise have enabled Ali “to perform all laundry services with verbal prompting. He is good in colour concepts and in buttoning clothes despite his physical issues. He has become very adept at using the vacuum steam iron to press all kinds of garments. He is now able to iron twenty garments in a day but needs a little more training in folding the ironed clothes. Once the ironing is done, Ali is able to stack the ironed clothes, pack them and deliver them to the customer.”

Tasneem Asgar Thoriyawala is 21 years old, partially verbal, diagnosed with mental retardation, and has been in the Youth Empowerment Services Unit of V-Excel since 2015. Her father, Asgar has this to say about her progress: “Through patience and diligence, Tasneem now shows a keen interest in all facets of laundry. The routine of the tasks has helped improve her sense of responsibility, and consequently, all associated skills. While her hand strength needs to improve, she is able to iron around ten garments a day with minimal supervision. She requires some help in folding the clothes once the ironing is complete, but takes great pride in completing the entire cycle of work from collection to delivery. Tasneem has also learned to identify different garments through the fabric texture and through colours.”

One of the most crucial aspects of assimilating someone with special needs into a regular job has to do with physical safety. How does V-Excel gauge this aspect when looking for suitable enterprises to partner with? Charumati Sriram explains that safety is one of the key issues addressed. “The hazards of using electricity, sharp equipment

Wassup Training Programme.

and hot equipment are explained to the trainees and there will be proper monitoring during the vocation’s implementation. The ironing equipment in the laundry is designed with several safety features.”

As of now, graduating trainees will either be absorbed by Wassup franchises or be given the opportunity to start their own Wassup franchise.

Efforts are also on to involve others working in the area of disability. “We will be working in partnership with Wassup to promote awareness and advocacy in the disability sector and invite more individuals from the sector to join us,” says Charumati, emphasising that this is only the beginning.

“We are actively seeking other CSR partnerships and also expanding our vocational training programmes in tier-two towns all over India where the need is acute.”

What makes the job ideally suited to ‘special’ candidates is the combination of learning and therapy it involves.

There are other areas of enterprise that may be ideal for this kind of partnership — jobs in printed circuit board, printing and documentation, housekeeping and hospitality industries can be a good fit.

A note on the partners

V-Excel Educational Trust’s programmes attempt to build sustainable livelihoods through vocational training for children with special needs.

The NGO offers a range of interventions and services that include therapies, assessments, and support systems — counselling and psychotherapy, medical services and remedial programmes. Their aim is to achieve integration and they do this through advocacy for equal rights, inclusiveness, independent living, self-determination and employment for individuals with special needs.

More about their work on www.v-excel.org and www.facebook. com/freehearts Wassup

Wassup is India’s leading on-demand laundry service with branches in Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai, Mumbai, Cochin, Pune and Hyderabad.

M o r e d e t a i l s o n w w w. wassupondemand.com JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 65

Women Masons Build On Dreams Azera Parveen Rahman

T

he dull, grey skies of Assam could hardly dampen the spirits of the seven women trained as masons and entrusted with the responsibility of building toilets in various homes. They were aware that all eyes were on them. Would they live up to their promise or would the challenge be too much for them? Not the ones to back down, they continued their work — walking through the slush, mixing cement and putting together bricks. While masonry is not a typical job for women, in the Demow block of Sibsagar District, the scenario has changed. Today, women are receiving formal training and working on par with their male counterparts.

This initiative, the brainchild of District Commissioner Virendra Mittal, is the result of a concerted move to make the region open defecation free (ODF). As part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the district administration is working towards building a toilet in every home and changing people’s mindsets about hygiene issues. While one block, Lakwa, has already been

Not the ones to back down, they continued their work — walking through the slush, mixing cement and putting together bricks.

66 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

declared ODF, work has started in Demow.

As the administration began to hire male masons in large numbers so that work could happen simultaneously in many locations, a clear shortage of skilled workforce posed a threat.

“That’s when I discussed the possibility of training women as masons. So far, the response has been positive,” says Mittal.

Aparajita Gogoi, a feisty 38-yearold from Demow, was the first to raise her hand when the officials proposed the idea of providing training in masonry to women during a public meeting. “I just wanted to grab hold of any opportunity that gave me a chance to move ahead in life and do something for the betterment of my community,” she says.

Her enthusiasm thoroughly impressed the officials, who asked her to pick six women and form the first team that would receive the masonry training. “I selected a mixed group — some are from the local women’s selfhelp group, of which I am a part, and the rest are homemakers. My aim was to bring together women who are motivated and would not back down in the face of difficulties,” she explains, adding, “After we completed the training, our first job was at Tukeshwar Gogoi’s house in Thowra. They are very poor and were using a pit for a toilet. Thanks to continuous rains, the work was not very smooth, but we did manage to build the toilet in six days.”

The group has constructed two toilets and recently landed another

contract. Obviously, they’ve had to undertake some confidence-building measures to overcome the hurdles that came their way not just from the community but also within their own families.

Meera Gogoi recalls how at first she was not really sure whether her husband would approve of her new vocation. “It’s not like I come from a very poor family, but having my own source of income meant being independent from asking my husband for money for every little thing and being guilt-free for wanting to spend on myself. But then putting forth such an argument before my husband felt ... inadequate somehow. I was nervous,” she adds.

So, this mother of two — a collegegoing boy and a school-going girl — sought the help of her group members to build her case. They motivated her to give it a try. “I finally went to my husband and told him how I felt. In the beginning, he was not sure, but I said

People accept women as competent masons and joke that that their quality of work will eventually put the men out of work!

that it would make me happy to be able to work and interact with other women, and I could also help him out with the daily expenses, if the need arose. He finally agreed,” she says. And now, the money they make is quite useful. The daily wage of a mistri or mason is Rs 500, while the jugali, or helper, gets Rs 350.

Being a mason means backbreaking work and long hours, but the women and their families have made the necessary adjustments. “For me, the day starts at 4.30 am. I wake my son up and help him with his studies till 6 am. Then I do the cleaning and cooking and by 8.30 am I send him to college and head out for work. Usually, I come back by 4 pm but there are days when it gets late, around 7–8 pm,” says Meera.

Some, like Sunti Sangmai, another homemaker-turned-mason, have been more fortunate. Her husband works in a tea garden and stays there, while her son stays with some relatives in the town. “My son is studying in the

polytechnic college and the extra income has enabled me to support his dream. That pushed me to take this up,” she says. That, and the fact that she gets to meet others like her who were passionate and shared her dream to make a real difference. And unlike other construction areas, the all-women work sites are buzzing with careless chatter and loud laughter. “I really look forward to my time at work,” says Sunti.

But while the families may have been more accommodating, the community, though not very harsh, was definitely a little more sceptical about this new role that the women assumed. “I come from the town area and there people didn’t question me or my family. They understood that an extra income is required. But in the villages, people would ask, ‘Is this the kind of work women ought to do?’ We would then say that if our families have supported us, then no one else should have a problem. Moreover, no work is big or small,” Meera points out. In

time, people have accepted the idea of women as competent masons because where earlier they would request a male mason to double-check or supervise the work they were doing nowadays they jokingly acknowledge that their quality of construction and workmanship might eventually end up putting the men out of work!

According to Shahnawaz Choudhury, Project Director, District Rural Development Agencies, at present, 26 women have been trained as masons. Aparajita’s group has been chipping in to train others by sharing its practical knowledge and experience.

As their success story spreads to various villages and towns in the vicinity, these women are now inspiring many others to follow in their footsteps.

For instance, in the remote village of Deodhai near Sibsagar, the main road was in a dilapidated state, full of potholes until recently, when the village women, led by their enterprising ward member, Aaroti Baruah, decided to do the repair work themselves after demanding financial assistance from the district administration. “Their effort was so commendable that with the community’s consent, we decided to name that road Mahila Ali,” Mittal remarks.

One road, several toilets and then who knows what else … the women masons of Sibsagar are already building on their dreams. (© Women’s Feature Service) JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 67

How IT can help corporate

wellness programmes G B Prabhat

I It is time to usher in the digital era of health management in organisations.

68 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

nformation Technology (IT) is a potent weapon in the wellness manager’s arsenal. IT tools and techniques have now emerged for the accurate capture of an individual’s health and the consequent analysis of both individual and community health data.

The cornerstone of a wellness programme is reliable data about the health of an individual. Some years ago, for an individual to report his health data would have been insurmountably onerous. Business corporations also would have found the implementation of wellness programmes tedious and unreliable. Wearable technology devices,

arguably one of the most important IT developments, are ushering in a new reality. With practically no effort required on the part of the individual, save for his wearing a device most of the time, accurate data can be automatically reported on the number of steps he walks, his pulse rate, sleep patterns and blood pressure. More advanced devices are experimenting automated reporting on other health parameters such as blood glucose and cholesterol levels. While still nascent, the use of wearable devices is galloping.

In 2014, 78.1 million wearable devices were shipped compared to 28.8 million units in 2013 representing

In 2014, 78.1 million wearable health devices were shipped compared to 28.8 million units in 2013 representing a 172 per cent growth.

a 172 per cent growth in the market size. The year 2015 is expected to have recorded equally impressive gains. Fitbit, the leading brand of wristbands, claims in its advertisement that 33 per cent of its shipments were accounted for by the corporate sector in a clear signal that companies are getting serious about employee wellness.

The first and the most important step in the implementation of a wellness programme is creating employee engagement. Compelling communication, orderly change management and incentive mechanisms encourage the individual employee to report his health data diligently. Managements

should help employees overcome their insecurities about reporting their health data. The insecurity of the employees may be mitigated in part by creating the awareness that most countries outlaw the access and use of an individual’s health data without her permission.

Companies could give their commitment that such data would be used only in the aggregated form and an individual’s data would neither be accessed as such nor revealed to anybody except the individual himself.

In most instances, companies would be interested in improving the health of groups of employees rather than an individual’s. Such groups could be defined variously as, for example, groups at cardiac risk, diabetes risk and mental health risk. Based on group data and the insights gleaned therefrom, companies could then implement informed wellness interventions rather than fly blind with the hope that well-intended wellness expenditure would somehow improve the health of the employees. The analysis performed by companies on group data aggregated from individual data may then be used to provide group incentives for the betterment of health.

Recently, United Healthcare launched a wellness programme, based largely on the number of steps an individual walks, that lets employees earn incentives of up to $1,400 a year.

A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, March 2016, authored

by Mitesh Patel from the University of Pennsylvania and others, discusses the dynamics of incentives by studying 76 four-member teams. The study concludes that a combination of individual and group incentives might work better than just either. Programmes that use the health data of an individual to provide individual incentives would require the prior consent of the individual. These programmes would become extensions of corporate sports — marathons, sprints, cricket matches and the like — that are sponsored by companies, except that they may be happening throughout

Compelling communication, orderly change management and incentive mechanisms encourage individual employees to report their health data diligently.

the month or year. Participation would be driven by the psychological and material incentives.

Already billions of bits of individual health data from wearable devices are being accumulated on the cloud.

Economics teaches us that data gathered is used in every possible way (without breaking the law). The digital era of corporate wellness and health management would be built on the foundation of this data and would be dramatically different from what it has been in the past. Anything dramatically different, in the beginning, may sound bizarre until it becomes the new normal. Companies that triumph over their xenophobic fears of the new wellness programmes will quickly establish a firm lead over their competitors. I am privileged to be assisting such visionary companies who are early adopters of IT-enabled wellness programmes.

If the important first step of persuading employees to engage enough with wellness programmes and diligently report (through wearable technologies or manually) their health data is taken, as the cliché goes, half the battle is won. Thereafter, a “health destiny” may be crafted for every company with the numerous exciting possibilities presented by IT techniques such as analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The health destiny will most likely become the strongest determinant of competitive advantage.

(The writer is Founder, Anantara Solutions Pvt Limited.

Email: gbprabhat@gmail.com) JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 69

Early to bed …

Bharat and Shalan Savur Try winding up your day at reasonable hours and reap a bounty of freshness and energy the next day.

W

hen a relationship manager of a financial organisation who ruefully said he doesn’t even have the time to holiday asked me what he should do, I replied, “Sleep or relax restfully at night.”

Calculating figures stimulates the brain. And we all juggle constantly with numbers whether it is to do with investments, prices, budgets, weights or measures. The mind needs its 70 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

nightly rest from this daily onslaught.

Otherwise, we set ourselves up for fatigue, anxiety, obesity, fear, depression, ulcers or high blood pressure.

If you’ve ever felt like running away from life’s overwhelming complexities, remember it’s only your mind crying for its overdue uninterrupted dose of seven-and-half hours of blissful rest. Activities shimmer with rich, colourful meaning when set in the simple, sound framework of deep sleep.

Awaken to sleep’s magic. Interestingly, studies on sleep and its beneficial effects on health keep pouring in. The Jawbone study, in particular, caught my eye as it pinpoints 9.30 pm — my bedtime — as a good time to turn in. The early-to-bed wisdom is at least as old as Ayurveda and as contemporary as digital India.

Over the years, influenced by the Dalai Lama who said, “Sleep is the best meditation,” I have steadily upped my schedule from 1 am to 10 pm. In the last one

year, however, my body has urged, “Go to bed earlier.” I readily surrendered to its wisdom with astounding results, one of which interestingly corresponds with the Jawbone study.

I started eating less. It’s as if my brain was working at godspeed and bestowing on me the ‘full-and-fulfilled’ sensation sooner than later. The J study states that the 9.30 pm sleepers ate at least 220 calories less the next day as compared to the late nighters who packed in an additional 245 calories.

This means we could put on about half a kg every fortnight — 26 kg per year.

(Aren’t we already calculating?)

Rogues of hunger. I often advise my students that merely counting calorie-intake will not work unless it is also backed by sufficient sleep. They look at me with a “You’re kidding, right?” expression.

The biological fact is: lack of sufficient sleep triggers the release and rise of the hormones cortisol and ghrelin to disproportionate levels and these twin rogues rev up those alleged “acute hunger pangs” that harass dieters. I’m also all for Benjamin Franklin’s straightforwardness; he said, “It is silly and wasteful that people should live much by candlelight and sleep by sunshine.”

The stomach speaks. To continue my 9.30 pm bedtime saga: I felt disinclined to eat heavy foods — paneer, eggs, chicken. This comes from a one-time voracious meat-eater who called himself ‘Carni Arnie.’ I now eat cheese and soya sparingly. And actually look forward to cold, herb-sprinkled salads and thin soups — like they are manna from heaven. My stomach, in this transformation, spoke to me with the clarity and eloquence of the world’s best motivator.

Later, I learnt that this was due to the rise of the hormone leptin that informs your brain that your stomach is full. It’s not that I exist solely on soups and salads.

I eat balanced meals; but the difference is that conscious eating has become my way. Temptation has receded. My body has shed five kg (I didn’t even know

I had any to shed.) If it could talk, my stomach would echo Hans Hofman’s wisdom: “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”

And the ‘necessary’ speaks, my friends. I’m filled with humming energy, exercise three hours a day against the one hour I did earlier. It’s because I’m a night vacationer diving deep into the silk of darkness and when I rest, heaven sleeps inside me.

abandon all thoughts so that the night’s wisdom seeps into our being. To surrender thus is to fall in love with the night and its potential and promise.

The night cradles us with the gentle love of a mother; its darkness a great luxurious refuge for the restless mind to rest in. As you understand and experience these truths, you develop a deep gratitude towards nature for designing this special quiet retreat. Here, nothing cries to be done. Even our ambitions and goals quieten and curl up like pet puppies in a cosy corner of our psyche.

Retire at 9.15 pm.

Draw the curtains. Change into cool nightwear.

Stretch like a tree reaching out to the sun allowing tension to exit.

The night remakes the day. The night is creative clay to re-mould the day.

When you are lost in deep restfulness, you discover a new shining world the next morning. It mirrors your freshness. And when you slip out of your bed, you step into a miracle.

For writers, sitting is mandatory.

You cannot write unless you are on your seat. Similarly, you cannot sleep unless you lie down. Hence, retire at 9.15 pm. Draw the curtains. Change into clean, cool, freshly-washed nightwear. Stretch like a tree reaching out to the sun allowing all tensions to seep out of your muscles. Then lie on your bed in the comforting darkness.

Now, it is almost 9.30 pm. Be with your body as it slows down its rhythms naturally and gracefully.

Can’t sleep? Just rest. If you don’t fall asleep, don’t sweat. Just relax.

Don’t try to sleep; trying keeps you awake. Instead, shut your eyes gently without letting your expectations weigh down your eyelids. Drop your expectations and surrender to the night completely. To surrender is to trust and

Treasure the night. It is when you are most yourself, when you are a hundred per cent available to yourself.

It’s the best time to leave the mental shores of negativity and cross over to equanimity, peace, acceptance, joy and gratitude. I have found these to be the best and most harmonious bedmates, the perfect pillows, the most magnificent of mattresses. Rest on them. The trick is to embrace sleep or non-sleep equally and joyfully. The less you worry, the deeper the rest. Restfulness is a rich fertile state from which spring great optimism, practical solutions and awe-inspiring insights.

The estate to cherish. “Choose sleep over extra profits,” says Warren Buffet.

Numbers numb, rest refreshes. The busy accountant in each of us is precisely the one who needs the restful break. When all around me people were acquiring a second home, I made mine right here in the house I inhabit. I may be poorer in terms of real estate but hopefully richer in what I cherish — health, peace, hours of harmony, humour, love, meaning, exercise, meditation and music. And as thousands drive or fly to vacation spots, I find in this age of speed that there’s nothing more luxuriously restful than staying still. Ask Buffet. Or the Buddha himself.

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

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 71

District Wise TRF Contributions as on April 30, 2016 (in US Dollars)

District Number

APF

2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100 3110 3120 3131 3132 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3291 India Total

57,659 52,660 69,298 44,035 1,79,744 1,02,318 22,920 18,407 19,275 1,710 21,092 2,40,030 23,006 76,031 49,958 42,388 86,880 83,647 1,80,697 55,544 6,58,210 13,261 22,254 46,616 1,98,228 6,36,723 1,58,894 66,422 72,943 86,214 2,74,689 85,152 66,561 12,399 1,18,401 18,599 39,62,865

3220

1,31,355

3271 3272

22,757 10,369

3281 3282

77,748 62,438

3292 South Asia Total World Total

2,19,888 44,87,420 8,98,06,637

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 16,269 0 15,039 0 525 0 4,998 9,930 9,163 1,14,582 79,585 105 122 56,251 779 38,343 227 0 0 96,621 0 1,050 2,188 20,486 397 406 30,901 26,797 0 0 0 23,454 12,302 13,230 156 0 8,747 67,168 3,944 0 51,988 75,413 4,000 27,001 0 0 1,335 32,211 2,682 3,123 9,379 2,10,490 82,974 100 4,413 525 1,000 0 2,309 1,000 26,213 3,83,923 406 203 1,300 16,576 0 0 1,225 12,028 0 1,06,646 3,74,565 13,37,660 Sri Lanka 26,776 87,683 Pakistan 26,926 989 12,456 (200) Bangladesh 50 46,262 25 0 Nepal 4,319 6,22,230 4,45,117 20,94,624 1,92,98,630 1,12,47,628

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

Total Endowment Contributions Fund 197 0 0 13,324 0 2,05,393 0 0 0 0 0 22,000 0 17,758 0 2,000 0 0 9,811 37,500 2,16,170 40,010 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,000 692 42,219 2,165 5,000 0 39,000 0 6,54,239

74,125 67,698 69,823 72,288 3,03,488 3,87,400 79,292 57,529 19,502 98,331 22,142 2,84,703 23,809 1,51,486 49,958 67,842 1,12,412 83,804 2,66,422 96,989 1,001,781 84,272 22,254 80,161 2,04,032 8,56,592 2,41,969 71,359 74,943 90,216 7,27,044 87,925 89,436 12,399 1,70,654 1,25,245 63,29,329

7,608

2,53,423

0 0

50,672 22,625

12,901 3,000

1,36,961 65,463

0 6,77,747 1,38,47,285

8,46,437 77,04,909 13,42,00,180

Source: RI South Asia Office

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Club Corner RC Temple City Bhubaneswar D 3262 Rotarians participated in the India Marathon Run, a national campaign for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, held at Bhubaneswar. Doctors among them also manned the health kiosks set up for the Run. Rtn Tapan Kumar Chand, the President Nominee of the Club, was the Chairman for the Marathon which had over 15,000 participants.

RC Poona Midtown D

3131

The club, in association with RC Pune Central and Lions Club Sahakar Nagar, is conducting breast health screening camp for women in and around Pune. Having screened 5,200 patients up to February, the team aims to screen at least 10,000 women by the end of this Rotary year.

RC Belur D

3291

The club has initiated a public awareness campaign to sensitise people on traffic rules and healthy habits. They have done so by putting up colourful display boards at petrol pumps in and around Kolkata.

RC Bombay Hanging Garden

D 3140

The Rotarians distributed water wheels to around 200 people in various villages to help combat the severe drought conditions. The water wheels came as a welcome relief for the villagers who were until then carrying water in pots from nearby sources in this parched region.

MAY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 73

RC Kumbakonam

RC Karambakkudi

RI District 3012

RI District 2981 A seminar to promote and maintain rooftop gardens was organised for 300 participants.

RI District 3000 The club sponsored a borewell for the Karambakudi Police Station at Pudukkottai.

International RYLA Chair Richard A Baines inaugurated the District’s first RYLA which had a participation of 700 students from across the world.

RC Salem Young

RC Narnaul City

RC Eluru

RI District 2982 Kitchen utensils were donated to 75 families of leprosy victims at a Leprosy Colony in a nearby village.

RI District 3011 Rotarians distributed 1,000 dustbins to support the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

RI District 3020 The club installed an RO water unit and donated furniture at a government primary school in the city.

74 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

RC Akola

RC Udaipur Elite

RC Amritsar North

RI District 3030 The club distributed artificial limbs and calipers for the physically-challenged.

RI District 3052 The club partnered with RC Indore Uptown, D 3040, to fit artificial limbs for over 200 physically-challenged people.

RI District 3070 The club conducted an Inter-school declamation competition on the topic Beti Bachao Beti Padao.

RC Kadodara

RC Rishikesh

RI District 3060 Over 100 patients from rural regions of Gujarat were tested and treated at a medical camp conducted by the club.

RI District 3080 School bags were distributed to 150 underprivileged students at Pankh School.

RC Sidhpur RI District 3051 The club organised a blood donation camp at Gokul Engineering College and 118 units of blood was collected.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 75

RC Rajpura Greater

RC Nizamabad

RC Kollam Residency

RI District 3090 The club solemnised the marriage for 11 girls from poor backgrounds.

RI District 3150 A free water service tanker for public use during the time of water scarcity was inaugurated by the club.

RI District 3211 The club inaugurated hand wash units at two government schools and trained the students on the right way to wash their hands.

RC Ganga Bijnor RI District 3100 To promote the Beti Bachao, Beti Padao initiative the club distributed the book Betiya written by PDG Hitesh Kumar Sharma.

RC Sandur

RC Bareilly Metro

RC Balehonnuru

RI District 3110 The club conducted a medical camp for the underprivileged.

RI District 3180 A self employment guidance programme to assist students to plan their future was organised.

RI District 3160 Around 75 patients were screened at a cardiac check-up camp.

RC Allahabad RI District 3120 The club conducted its annual Rotary Science Fest for school and college students.

RC Latur RI District 3132 The club in association with RC Kharola conducted the Jal Yukt Shiwir to create awareness on safe drinking water.

RC Bangalore Lakeside RI District 3190 The club’s Rotaractors and Interactors participated in the club’s annual Environment Day Programme.

RC Shoranur RI District 3201 A hand wash unit was inaugurated at Ganeshgiri Government High School.

RC Spic Nagar RI District 3212 The club inaugurated an e-learning centre at St Antony’s High School to support 1,000 underprivileged students.

Rotary E-club Chennai RI District 3230 Club members fed the cows at Pinjrapole, a shelter for abandoned cows, in Chennai.

RC Dhamtari RI District 3261 The club in association with the Innerwheel club of Dhamtari sponsored a water unit at Shihava Chowk.

RC Calcutta Mahanagar

RC Satellite City Navi Mumbai

RC Tirupur South

RI District 3140 The club sponsored its first Interact Club at Prerna Vidyalaya.

RI District 3202 Relief material was distributed to 285 families affected by the floods in Cuddalore.

RI District 3291 The club in association with the Ministry of Child Development, Government of West Bengal and the Indian Food Banking Association distributed over 1.35 lakh biscuit packets to 67,000 children across Kolkata.

RC Patan Durbar Square

RC Ganga Bijnor RI District 3100 76 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

RI District 3292 In memory of those who lost their lives in the 2016 Nepal earthquake, the club conducted an athletics championship in association with Lalitpur Athletics Club.

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

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Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 77

Keep moderate, regular exercise going Dr Akshay Mehta

T

he preventive benefits of regular, moderate intensity exercise are well known. We know that it reduces obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and improves HDL cholesterol, overall fitness and psychological well-being.

Regular moderate exercise cuts the risk of heart attacks by half. However, that it also facilitates early diagnosis and treatment of several maladies, is less known.

A recent experience of the following cases exemplifies this and provides useful lessons.

My 60-year-old friend, a doctor himself, has a habit of walking daily for 30 minutes every morning. One day while walking, he felt discomfort in his upper abdomen. He thought it was a gastric problem and continued walking. But the ‘gas’ did not go away and started spreading upwards to his chest as some form of tightness. He stopped, came home and took some antacids. Although he was alright through the day, he felt something was amiss and consulted me.

After listening to his story, I advised him medication (including aspirin and statins) followed by coronary angiography. And what did it show? It showed a 99 per cent narrowing of a major artery, which had caused the symptoms during his walk.

These symptoms resulted because the supply of blood through the narrowed coronary artery fell short of the increased demand made by the heart muscle while walking. This was a demand-supply imbalance. If 78 ROTARY NEWS JUNE 2016

my friend did not have the habit of walking, this demand-supply imbalance would not have been triggered, and he would have known about it only when the blood vessel would have occluded or closed totally, causing a massive heart attack resulting in sudden death. Of course, on finding the 99 per cent narrowing, we opened it with a balloon and fitted a stent, thus preventing a heart attack and permanent damage to his heart.

The moral of the story is that it was due to the habit of walking regularly, that our friend could catch the early warning symptoms. Hence a lesser known but a very important benefit of regular moderate intensity exercise like walking, swimming, aerobics, cycling, etc is that coronary disease

may be identified early and before any of its devastating consequences occur.

To quote actor James Cagney: “I try to dance at least once a day because I don’t want to take my heart by surprise!”

An active patient and an astute physician can “abort” a heart attack!

Yet another exercise bonus!

Take the case of Parker, a 75-yearold diabetic. He is always on the go.

Wherever possible, whenever possible, he avoids a vehicle or an elevator and walks and climbs stairs, besides doing his regular 30-minute walk every morning.

But one evening his long standing diabetes played spoil sport. He started getting chest pain and hence went to his family physician. The doctor took

his ECG, diagnosed a heart attack (technically termed ST elevation myocardial infarction) and packed him off to the hospital.

But before sending him, he did a wise thing. He gave him a soluble aspirin to chew and four tablets of clopidogrel (another blood thinner like aspirin) to swallow.

By the time Parker reached the hospital, his pain had subsided completely and the ECG reverted to normal. This was because of the dissolution of the clot or thrombus which was occluding a coronary artery. Usually this requires the intravenous injection of a clot buster (fibrinolytic drug) or emergency balloon angioplasty to dissolve or remove the clot and open the artery. But in Parker’s case it happened without any of these usual remedies. It is very likely

this was due to regular physical activity by the patient plus the timely diagnosis with an ECG and administration of the blood thinners by the family doctor.

An angiogram done the next day confirmed our premise; the artery, though narrowed, was not blocked and no major damage had occurred to the heart due to the early treatment.

Regular, moderate intensity physical activity is known to stimulate body’s own “fibrinolytic” system — that is, the body’s ability to spontaneously dissolve unwanted clots. It also causes reduced clumping of platelets — the cells involved in clotting — on exercise.

Intense exercise, specially unaccustomed, on the contrary, can increase clotting tendency and may cause a heart attack. That is why the stress on regular, moderate intensity exercise.

Although due to diabetes, Parker had fat deposits and a threatened heart attack due to clot formation, the latter “melted” because of his own vigorous fibrinolytic potential related to regular exercise which made the blood thinners more effective. Hence his heart muscle did not suffer much damage.

The bomb was diffused before it could explode!

Thus, regular and moderate physical activity not only prevents heart disease but also helps early diagnosis and aids treatment.

Didn’t someone say, God helps those who help themselves?

(The writer is a cardiologist from RC Bombay Airport - D 3140.

Email: drakshaykmehta@gmail.com)

Rotary unites a family Team Rotary News

P

V Soumya, afflicted by polio, is orthopaedically challenged; she along with her daughter, Devasena (8), resides in their relative’s house while her mother stays in another relative’s house. It was an arrangement of convenience for the family as they lacked a proper home for themselves. To make matters worse, little Devasena was suffering from osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease.

Soumya came across an advertisement placed

by RC Payyanur, D 3202, in a local daily. The club had announced construction of houses for the homeless poor who own a plot of land but lack the funds to build a house. “We received 27 applications and shortlisted 7, of which, Soumya’s was the most deserving,” says Club President C R Nambiar. The PV Soumya and daughter Devasena in front of their dream Karivellur-Peralam Panchayat had given Soumya home.

1,800 sq ft land at the Peralam village, on the outskirts of Payyanur.

“I am very happy now because it was my long-cherThe Rotarians pooled in funds and constructed a home ished dream to have my mother live with me. Unfortunately for her in her plot, “in a record six months.” DG George she had to be at the mercy of my relatives so long. A roof Sundararaj presented the house keys to Soumya in a tra- over our head gives us a sense of security and confidence,” ditional house-warming ceremony organised by the club. says the new house owner. She has a diploma in computer The house costing Rs 6.5 lakh has two rooms and a kitchen. science and works part-time at the village library.

JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 79

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JUNE 2016

ROTARY NEWS 81

Board of Permanent Trustees

Governors’ Council RI Dist 2981

DG

Dr Gunasekaran Chinnathambi

RI Dist 2982

DG

R Vasu

RI Dist 3000

DG

R Theenachandran

RI Dist 3011

DG

Sudhir Mangla

RI Dist 3012

DG

Jitender Kumar Gaur

RI Dist 3020

DG

M Jagadeeswara Rao

RI Dist 3030

DG

Dr Nikhil Arvind Kibe

RI Dist 3040

DG

Sanjeev Gupta

RI Dist 3051

DG

C A Lalit Sharma

RI Dist 3052

DG

Pradhuman Kumar Patni

RI Dist 3053

DG

Anil Beniwal

RI Dist 3060

DG

Parag Sheth

RI Dist 3070

DG

Kuldip Kumar Dhir

RI Dist 3080

DG

David Joseph Hilton

RI Dist 3090

DG

Dharam Vir Garg

RI Dist 3100

DG

Deepak Babu (Acting DG)

RI Dist 3110

DG

Sharat Chandra

RI Dist 3120

DG

Ved Prakash

RI Dist 3131

DG

Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3132

DG

Dr Deepak Prabhakar Pophale

RI Dist 3140

DG

Subhash Kulkarni

RI Dist 3150

DG

Gopinath Reddy Vedire

RI Dist 3160

DG

Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3170

DG

Shrinivas Ramkrishna Malu

RI Dist 3180

DG

Dr A Bharathesh

RI Dist 3190

DG

K P Nagesh

RI Dist 3201

DG

Kamlesh V Raheja

RI Dist 3202

DG

George Sundararaj

RI Dist 3211

DG

C Luke

RI Dist 3212

DG

J Navamani

RI Dist 3230

DG

C R Raju

RI Dist 3240

DG

Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3250

DG

Dr Bindu Singh

RI Dist 3261

DG

Rakesh Dave

RI Dist 3262

DG

Sibabrata Dash

RI Dist 3291

DG

Jhulan Basu

PRIP PRIP PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID RID

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

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (In addition to Board of Permanent Trustees)

DG Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3240

Chair - Governors Council

DG C R Raju

RI Dist 3230

Secretary - Governors Council

DG Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3131

Secretary - Executive Committee

DG Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3160

Treasurer - Executive Committee

DG Sudhir Mangla

RI Dist 3011

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

Qawwali time in Hyderabad

I

t had all the elements of a typical Hyderabad summer evening … the mercury had mercifully declined from its 40°C mark. The Rotary News Trust meet was behind me, and the incoming DGs of 2016–17, and other senior Rotarians from RI Director Manoj Desai’s Think Tank had showered generous praise on Rotary News and its Editor! There couldn’t have been a better background to enjoy the Qawwali Night

hosted by the Lakshya Chair PDG Ravi Vadlamani. Soon enough the DGEs had got into the Qawwali spirit and started jiving to the music. But the real fun began when RI Director Desai himself joined the Qawwals, and invited spouse Sharmishtha Desai onto the stage. Forever a sport, she readily obliged, and the DGEs cheered on the couple.

Text and pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

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