Rotary Club of Bombay The Gateway DISTRICT 3141 BULLETIN OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY | FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY | WWW.ROTARYCLUBOFBOMBAY.ORG VOLUME NO. 62 ISSUE NO. 37 APRIL 6, 2021

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE KING OF FRUITS Mango is the King of memories from childhood of happiness and million years ago. Mangoes were cultivated in Fruits. The coveted joy and pimples. And there is aam ras, aam , possibly, as early as 2000 BCE. title is largely to do panna, aam papad, icecream, kulfi, candy, with its seasonal kadhi, cheesecake, tart, yogurt, soufflé, jam, As I dig into my scoop of fresh mango ice- availability. (Yes, we lassi, milkshake...the list goes on and on. Each cream, I’m happy that we actually do have a can get it year- having their own magic that can lead us down claim on mangoes… just like we do aapri Rani round now, but we memory lane. and aapro Freddy Mercury. all also know that those are just watered down versions). Genetic analysis and comparison of modern mangoes with Paleocene mango leaf fossils It beats any other fruit, exotic or otherwise, in found near Damalgiri, , indicate that its demand and versatility. the centre of origin of the mango genus was in President Framroze Mehta the Indian subcontinent prior to joining of the Mango as a fruit is amazing. It brings Indian and Asian continental plates, some 60

#tuesdaythoughts “Bright May afternoons — LT. GENERAL SHOKIN mango trees in the garden echoed with cuckoo calls.” ― Meeta Ahluwalia CHAUHAN (RETD) ON WHAT #numbercrunching AILS THE NORTH-EAST AND 21 mn metric tonne The volume of mango produced in 2020 by India, HOW TO INTEGRATE IT WITH the world's leading producer of mangoes during the REST OF THE COUNTRY measured time period. I HAVE BEEN GUARDING It started in 1918 when the Akbar Hydari, had a nine-point #caughtintheweb INDIA’S BORDERS FOR 30 OUT Naga Club was formed after agreement with the Naga groups OF MY 40 YEARS OF SERVICE, World War I and the Nagas told or the Naga tribes. The basic LOOKING AFTER THE NATION the British, who were then our issue in this agreement was that AND TRYING TO BRING PEACE colonial masters, that ‘once they would join the Union of IN A CONTENTIOUS LAND. you leave India, please leave India for a period of 10 years us where we are. That means and after 10 years, they would I wonder how many of you have that we were not a part of any be given a choice whether they actually visited the North-East? ancient kingdom, we are not want to leave or continue being Most of you may have gone to a part of India, and we don’t a part of India. Unfortunately, Shillong, seen the beauty of belong to be in India. We have a after freedom, by 1948, we said Meghalaya. How many of have different caste terms, a different that there is no question that been to or lifestyle and we want to remain India will ever be broken again , or ? independent’. This further took and that everyone who had And, even if you have, how a fillip when talk of freedom was been a part of British Colonial many have ventured beyond the in the air in 1946. India would belong to India. It capitals? So, let me give you a was understood that because brief idea of what ails the North- Once again, they said that we were fighting war in Kashmir, East today before I come to the they did not want to be a there was no room for too North-East proper. part of India. At that time, the much dissent anywhere else in Governor of , Governor the country. This problem has CONTEXT IS KING! TODAY: INDIAN PLAYBACK SINGER SUDHA MALHOTRA, RECEPIENT OF THE SHYAM MUNSHI AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS. ON ZOOM AT 7 PM 2 THE WEEKLY MEET April 6, 2021 THE WEEKLY MEET 3

Inner Wheel President PP Ashish Vaid PP Kalpana Munshi PP Dr. Rumi Jehangir President Framroze Rtn. Hariprasad Nevatia Swati Bhansali Mehta continued in the North-East since nation! We may be different people, Along with the North-East, there is members and bring them under then. but we are one nation and as that also another issue called the ‘16 km some kind of agreement so that nation, you and us have as much free move regime’. 16 km between they can be a part of India. We have had an armed insurgency right to know about each other the two countries is an international from 1956 onwards. Sometimes, and what we have really failed in is boundary that divides the villages The second issue is that from the we have a cease-fire, sometimes it understanding what the North-East along the Indo- border time the Covid pandemic began, breaks and then restarts. The latest is all about. where people can come and go, a large number of young people cease-fire was in 1997, and that share the border and trade with from the North-East, who were seems to have lasted till now. We So, let me give you an idea. We each other. The idea is that they studying or working in the soft are still in a cease-fire mode but we first have Arunachal Pradesh; its can carry head logs and share those skills industry all over India, had no have also started talking to them tribes are: Tangsa, Nocte, Chakma, head logs between each other. place to stay within the states they about integrating them with the Tutsa and the Lisu tribes. In Assam: It is difficult when you police the were working/ studying in. They Union of India. Assamese, Dimasa, Bodo, Bengali, border and try to prevent people had to come back. At one point, Bronglai, Bronglais Naga, Kukis, the exodus in Gomantak became What ails the North-East; why don’t from coming in or going out. There Rakuls, Karbi, Khasi. In Meghalaya is a free move regime with no land so heavy that unfortunately we we understand the North-East and you have the Garos, Khasi, Hajong, could do nothing but accept these what are the main situations? borders or fences, we have the Narangs and Tiwas, in fact the Assam rifles along the 1760 km children who were coming by When you talk about the North- majority in Meghalaya are actually but it is very little, the jungle, the special trains and that is how the East, you are talking of 15,000 Catharsis. In you have the ground, the terrain is so difficult Covid epidemic reached Nagaland km of borders of your country, Tripuri, Riang, , , that it is difficult to find them. and other states. Till May, there had 2.62 lakh square kilometre of Uchai, Chakma, Halam and in So, we can try and regulate the been no pandemic in any one of area of land mass, 3.1% of India’s Nagaland which is actually the land movement in 16 km. the North-Eastern states. population, 40 million people from of 60 major tribes, you have the Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, But what seems to be the problem When talking of the North-East, diverse origins, tribes, religions, and what do you think? What is the belief and over 220 languages and Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, and why are we in the state of Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, constant insurgency and why is kind of people they are? What is dialects. It is an amazing spectrum the kind of food they eat? What of people with different languages, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungru and there an issue? The Nagas said they Zeliang. In Manipur you have the don’t belong to India, we had the are their customs? What do the tongue, thought-processes. But shawls or colours they wear say where did these people come from Lamkang, Liangmai, Tangkhul, Hydari agreement that said that Tarao, Thadou, Thangal, etc. the Nagas can decide after 10 years about their tribe? It is an amazing and why is it so important that we conglomeration of how they need to understand how important if they want to be a part of India. The issue about the North-East In 1960, we had another 21-point live. Nagaland is actually a state the North-East is? When you look is, firstly, that the kind of people where each village is independent, at the North-East, the Nagas, the agreement with them wherein there are, there are 220 dialects the state of Nagaland was created there is no ownership of land and Kukis who also came to the Nagas, and more than 200 tribes. There is because there is no ownership the Mizos and the Lushais came and we pushed through the state from the top, Arunachal Pradesh of Nagaland, but we did not take of land, the village headman or from the upper Burma and the and towards south is Nagaland, the village owns the land of the Hunan province of China. In the everyone into account and this Manipur, Mizoram. This is also insurgency continued. village. They don’t have paper 17th century, the Assamese were the 1770 km-long Indo-Myanmar transactions or pattas where the brought in as Kachin slaves into Border. In the recent coup in In 1975, we had the Shillong land is given to a particular person. the Hukawng Valley and settled in Myanmar, about a hundred Agreement where, once again, The land is distributed between what is now Assam. There are many people lost their lives and, later, we were able to bring the warring the villagers. They do this based more examples of this kind of cross 44 pro-democracy protestors lost Nagaland tribes into agreement on an agreement with each other connections across the region. their lives. Why is that happening and to surrender weapons. and who the land belongs to for The first issue, when you go to and how should India behave as a Unfortunately, the Shillong the next seven generations. They the North-East, is that they say we neighbour? We should talk about Agreement also failed and now Mr are not allowed to sell this land. simply don’t understand them. We it. The issue we are dealing with Amit Shah, along with the Home Secondly, in a village like this, don’t know where they come from, a country like Myanmar is that if Ministry, has been trying to do the nobody goes hungry, there are no we don’t know their language, we those people want to come to India, best that we can into some kind of beggars, no problems, no petty have no clue about their culture there is very little we can do to stop agreement. My job as the Chairman crime in Nagaland, their jails are and that they don’t belong to us – them mainly because the tribes that of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group empty. The police have nothing to that is the first issue we talk about. are being targeted by the Burmese is mainly to get the foreign tribes do other than the fact that they On this basis, I decided to pass the Army are also the tribes that are into agreeing to a certain system might have to fight insurgency. message across that we are one inhabiting the North-East. by which we can regulate the When a hunter gets back from the 2 THE WEEKLY MEET April 6, 2021 THE WEEKLY MEET 3

Rtn. Jagdish Malkani Rtn. Mihir Mody Rtn. Nandan Maluste Rtn. Rohit Dhoot Rtn. Sanjiv Saran Mehra Rtn. Vasant Manohar

jungle, the hunt is given to the to control fire, we try our best – we I am told, in the 1960s, Naxal The Rohingya came in from the senior citizen of the village who sensitise the soldiers and slowly we problems started there which open border of because lays a clear description of how are trying to improve. I take a lot spread all over India; what was they entered the sea, went from the hunt is to be shared. It is an of lectures within the Army as well; done to control them? How bad is Cox’s bazar and entered Bangladesh amazing story of how the village it is important to understand the the situation of illegal immigrants and created a problem in looks after itself. All the food in the culture. and what we doing to deal with it? Bangladesh and not ours, they tried village goes to the people in that to enter the borders into India. We village. They live a very clean life; What is the stand of the major There is so much noise and untruth have identified them and are trying they have wonderful schooling but tribes on China and Tibet, right in the system. When it was East to send them back but the issue of unfortunately beyond schooling from when Dalai Lama escaped Pakistan, there were a large number illegal migration was mainly due to they don’t have any education. So, in 1959? of Bengalis who did not leave East the genocide. Pakistan and did not come back this is where we have failed, we In 2017 when I was the Director have been unable to take education to India. Jinnah had told them Why did Assam become a problem General of Assam Rifles, the that it would be a country that in ’70s? There are four districts further in Nagaland, we have not Government of India invited me to been able to take the industries to could accept minorities. But when in Assam whose demographic be one of the Chief Guests where Pakistan started the genocide on is changed and therefore this the North-East, or jobs or higher we were to meet Dalai Lama at education. March 21st, 1971, a large number problem happened. These are not Guwahati. When we met, he said, of East Bengalis stared flowing to one people, but different tribes ‘General, I owe my life to you.’ India. So, the first issue of illegal with different cultures. They are I asked in what way. He said, immigrants were these refugees. scared that if a large number of ROTARIANS ASK ‘because of Assam Rifle I am alive’. That is why the Assam Accord says people come in their area, they will So, in 1956, Dalai Lama actually that everybody who entered India lose their culture. Now, the Naxals I have been to the seven sisters left Tibet and was received by a and I blame New Delhi for not after the March 24th, 1971, is an never affected the North-East, it group of 20 soldiers of the Assam illegal immigrant because they was an issue in Naxalbari in Bengal assembling them after 70 years of Rifles who went to Khinzamane in Independence. What would you came during the genocide and they and not in North-East, they are Arunachal Pradesh and brought should have gone back after the too tribal and there is no place for comment on the AFSPA [Armed Dalai Lama in to a safe region. Dalai Forces Special Powers Act]: there genocide. What is the CAA – the communism. Lama never forgot, so, when I knew Amended Citizen’s Act is that they are plus and minuses to it, what is I was meeting the Dalai Lama, I What is the difference you find your comment? have changed this date from 24th searched one of those 20 soldiers, March 1971 to 31st December 2014 between the earlier government The AFSPA was created in 1958 to only one was alive, Havaldar Das, I and that means all the people who and the current government in give some legality to the Armed brought him back and told him that have come in Assam and changed relating to the North-East? Forces operating in the North- you could meet the Dalai Lama. the demography of Assam – by It was amazing that when Dalai The earlier government said ‘look East. It is an act that allowed us this large number of Bengalis – North-East’ but it was only looking, to operate there legally. There Lama met him, he hugged him, they changed the Act that actually and he had tears in his eyes. Now, we didn’t do anything more or are certain issues that need to be created this problem. So, that is better. This government is ‘Act changed in that particular Act but how does that impact our story? the first issue of illegal immigrants. The issue is when India took the North east’, certain projects are the legality of it, if the army needs Then, it was a genocide and we had ready to come, but it has not made to operate, you need some kind of risk of saving the Dalai Lama, we to open borders for people to come understood from that time onwards any difference as such. The relations enabling legislation. in, but we should have identified on the ground are the same, we we would be in constant conflict who came in and should have I have been part of discussions with China. Now, how do people are trying to get the roads better, persuaded Bangladesh to take them the electricity situation is bad, we with the previous government in the North-East think about it? In back in, this didn’t happen. on whether they should rename 1955-56, or rather after Nagaland don’t have good colleges there, no this Act because the Act has got was made a state in 1960, there The second issue is of the Rohingya industries there. We have no idea a bad name, and the name has were a large number of people from Muslims. They belong to Rakhine about their agriculture, talents and gone haywire. Of course, we can. the Naga Socialist Council, one of province of Burma. The Rohingyas no clue of how we can utilise them. The issue is if you want to legalise the insurgent groups, who decided have to go through that Sagaing Nobody has done a case study on our stay and operations, then you to trade with China. So, from ’65 to province of the China Province to what the North-East can give us have to give us a legal framework. ’75, China actively traded with the come to India. The Chins are the by way of human resources, we There is nothing else in there and North-East. Slowly, the amount of Christians and Sagaing are the have not done anything. So, the we have taken great care to try trading reduced and today there is Myanmaris, they do not permit difference is very little. Noise-wise, and prevent it but the degree of no trade. The insurgent groups have these people to come in. So, I can this government makes more noise insurgency and terrorism is such also stopped trusting the Chinese. tell you that from the borders of but how much it affects, we are not that people get killed, it is difficult There is a gap both ways. Burma, not a single Rohingya came. sure. 4 CANCER AID & LIGHTHOUSE April 6, 2021 CARDIAC CAMP 5

B.E.S.T. CANCER SCREENING CAMP

A CANCER SCREENING CAMP WAS Seventy-seven women were screened. Total No. of women screened 152 CONDUCTED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF Sixty-nine patients were identified BOMBAY’S CANCER AID COMMITTEE IN for additional testing including PAP Follow-up cases 134 COLLABORATION WITH CANCER PATIENT smears, abdominal ultrasounds and % of follow-up 88 AID ASSOCIATION ON MARCH 9TH FOR sono-mammograms, and biopsy after Total No. of detected cases Nil B.E.S.T.’S COLABA WORKERS. screening. Total No. of sono-mammograms 34 CRAYON ETCHING FOR LIGHTHOUSE

THE ANTICIPATION AND weekly art and craft class. on the paper. JOY WITH WHICH WE CAREFULLY SCRAPED The activity commenced Such art activities, simple OFF PORTIONS OF with children painstakingly though they seem, give BLACK WAX COATING TO filling the entire page with youngsters a much-needed REVEAL A MULTIHUED tiny blocks of bright colours outlet for expression and DESIGN UNDERNEATH IS on the instructions of the creativity at a time when A CHILDHOOD MEMORY teacher. After that, came the the pandemic has snatched MANY OF US CHERISH. crucial second step where most other forms of a thick coat of black crayon enjoyment like socialising On Saturday, March 20th, was applied over the entire with classmates in school our Lighthouse students of page. Finally, children used and evening playtime. classes 3 to 5 experienced their imagination to etch the same joy during their out a design of their choice CARDIAC CAMP 5 PAEDIATRIC CARDIAC SURGERY CAMP

The Rotary Club of Bombay conducted a Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Camp at Aastha Hospital, Manor. This camp was conducted in coordination with Rotary Club of Palghar and Rotary Club of Manor. Patients from the camp were referred to Rotary Haria Hospital, Vapi. 6 ANANDA YAAN & ROTARACT (RCHR) April 6, 2021 ANANDA YAAN ENJOYS ITS HOLI DAY

THE TEAM PARTNERS-IN- March 24th, 2021, as a pre- ‘Aim it’, senior citizens paired with winners felicitated with SERVICE OF THE ROTARACT Holi celebration, allowing the up with Rotaractors. It was a a hamper by the Rotaractors. CLUB OF HINDUJA COLLEGE, Rotaractors of Hinduja College new experience for them. The The event ended with old retro SUPPORTED BY THE PARENT to spend time bonding with celebration ended with a lemon songs requested by Ananda ROTARY ROTARY CLUB OF senior citizens. The afternoon and spoon race. Yaan members. BOMBAY, INITIATED THEIR began with the tradition of FIRST ON-GROUND EVENT AY applying a tilak and some Enthusiastic Rotaractors and Due to rising Covid cases, AY KI HOLI, ALONG WITH THE organic gulal on each other. the energetic and ever-young classes will not happen in- MEMBERS OF THE ANANDA Three fun games followed Ananda Yaan members enjoyed person for a month so this was YAAN COMMITTEE. after this. First, our members the small Holi celebration. At a great festive finale until they enjoyed playing ‘Passing the the end, the event ended with meet again. The event was conducted on parcel’. For the second game, a dance session on a good note PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR AY ANANDA YAAN ALONG WITH jerks, forward bending, and heavy DIGNITY FOUNDATION ORGANISED weightlifting when one has pain in PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR SENIOR the lower back. Some exercises were MEMBERS ON MARCH 18TH taught for postural correction. (BYCULLA CENTRE) & MARCH 19TH (DR. E MOSES ROAD CENTRE), 2021. Dr. Surabhi focused on the problem of urinary incontinence and pelvic Dr. Surabhi Agarwal (P.T.) visited both health among the middle and old age centres to conduct practical sessions population and taught exercises to on the importance of exercise for all, prevent the same. The group was also including senior citizens. taught balancing exercises to prevent the risk of falls common to senior She discussed the need for them citizens and some general exercises to not ignore their symptoms and for knee, low back, and shoulder consult their physiotherapist/ doctor joints with appropriate precautions. regularly if suffering from pain/ She also talked about pranayama injury. She talked about the physical and breathing exercises important and mental changes their bodies face for good lung health, especially with advancing age and how exercises important during Covid-19. keep them healthy, independent and motivated. She gave postural She concluded the session with advice advice like sitting straight and not for to maintain a balance between rest longer periods, taking micro-breaks and work throughout the day. from one position, and avoiding ROTARACT (RCHR) 7 TOO COOL FOR FUEL

TOO COOL FOR FUEL WAS A PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN ORGANISED BY MEMBERS OF THE ROTARACT CLUB OF H.R. COLLEGE. This campaign took place across Marine Drive on March 13th and 14th, 2021. Young college students cycled across the city to raise awareness regarding the rising fuel prices and the ill effects of excessive fuel usage on the environment. This campaign acknowledged the people who use cycles and other means of public transport by giving them a water bottle. ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY 2020-2021 TRUSTEES 2020-2021 PP Dr. Rahim Muljiani PP Arvind Jolly PP Dr. Adi Dastur PP Arun Sanghi OFFICE BEARERS 2020-2021 President Rtn. Framroze Mehta Immediate Past President Rtn. Preeti Mehta President-Elect Rtn. Shernaz Vakil President-Nominee Rtn. Vineet Bhatnagar Hon. Secretary Rtn. Satyan Israni Hon. Jt. Secretary Rtn. Natasha Treasurywala Hon. Treasurer Rtn. Kirit Kamdar SPECIAL DIRECTOR PP ASHISH VAID DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE PE SHERNAZ VAKIL Classification, Membership & Information PP Nandan Damani Fellowship, Assimilation & In-Camera Rtn. Ritu Prakash Desai Sergeant-At-Arms Rtn. Hoshang Nazir DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. MEERA ALREJA Skill Development Rtn. S V Prasad ROTARIAN BIRTHDAYS Gender Equality Rtn. Varsha Daiya Child Welfare Rtn. Rajesh Shah The Rotary Foundation & Global Grants PP Vijaykumar Jatia DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. RAM GANDHI Programme Rtn. Farhat Jamal Public Awards Rtn. Swati Mayekar Young At Heart PP Rajnikant Reshamwala APRIL 6 APRIL 6 APRIL 7 Rotary Vision Panchatattva Rtn. Poonam Lalvani Rtn. Suresh Goklaney Rtn. Kalpana Singhania Rtn. Shanta Chatterji DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. PETER BORN Attendance Rtn. Mudit Jain RCB Medical Centre, Mumbai Rtn. Manoj Patodia International Service Rtn. Christopher Bluemel DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. AJIT LALVANI Ananda Yaan Rtn. Madhusudan Daga APRIL 7 APRIL 8 APRIL 10 Scholarships Rtn. Zinia Lawyer Rtn. Ghanshyam Sheth Rtn. Manjeet Kripalani Rtn. Ramesh Dhir Fund-Raising Rtn. Pradeep Chinai DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. PRATAP PADODE Bulletin, Social Media & Website Rtn. Rhea Bhumgara Water Resources Rtn. Abhishek Saraf Bhavishya Yaan Rtn. Manish Reshamwala DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. DR. ROHINI CHOWGULE PP Dr. Rahim Muljiani, RCB Medical Centre, Talwada (PRVEC & ADMC) APRIL 11 APRIL 12 Rtn. Homi Katgara Rtn. Dr. Rohini Chowgule Rtn. Byramjee Mahakhurshid Cancer Aid Rtn. Dr. Ian Pinto DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. JAMSHED BANAJI ROTARIAN PARTNER BIRTHDAYS ROTARIAN ANNIVERSARIES Urban Heritage Rtn. Samir Chinai APRIL 9: Rtn. Ptn. Mehroo Bali APRIL 10: Rtn. Ptn. Fouzia & PP Dr. Animal Welfare Rtn. Hiren Kara APRIL 9: Rtn. Ptn. Vandana Sinh Rahim Muljiani Environment Rtn. Priyasri Patodia APRIL 12: Rtn. Ptn. Zarina & President APRIL 11: Rtn. Ptn. Rachna Agarwal Mehta Framroze Sports Rtn. Hiranmay Biswas DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE RTN. BIPIN VAZIRANI Printed and Published by President Framroze Mehta for Rotary Club of Bombay, Rotaract Rtn. Murad Currawala [email protected]; Editorial Content, Design & Layout by The Narrators, [email protected]; Printed at Indigo Press, [email protected] Interact Rtn. Gautam Doshi Regd No. MCS/091/2015-17; R.N.I NO. 14015/60. WP P License No. MR/TECH/WPP-89/South 2015 Vocational Training & Night Study Centre Rtn. Mehul Sampat