February 2021 6 1 Web.Indd 1 03-02-2021 11:57:16 Serve to Change Lives Shekhar Mehta’S Presidential Theme

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Vol.64, Issue 8 Vol.64,

P_Wrapper_Front_Front_Inside_February 2021_6_1_web.indd 1 03-02-2021 11:57:16 Serve to Change Lives Shekhar Mehta’s Presidential theme

P_Wrapper_Front_Front_Inside_February 2021_6_1_web.indd 2 03-02-2021 11:57:13 Inside 10 10 Time to upscale our performance RIPE Shekhar Mehta urges incoming district governors to think big, addressing The Odyssey, the 14 virtual Rotary institute.

14 Let us embrace the digital age RI President Holger Knaack tells DGEs that Rotarians should make increasing use of technological tools in his convocation address at GETS.

20 Pandemics offer hope too Trustee chair K R Ravindran explains how TRF 20 responded quickly to help communities during the pandemic.

22 Crucial public healthcare lessons from the Covid pandemic WHO chief scientist Sowmya Swaminathan highlights the need to invest in public health to prevent and control diseases.

24 Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly RIPN Jennifer Jones stresses on the mantra of unity, equity and diversity at two virtual meets held by Synergy Alliance and RC Madras.

22 51 All clubs should get PAN and be KYC compliant RIDs Bharat Pandya and Kamal Sanghvi urge Rotary clubs in India to comply with GoI’s new rules for the voluntary sector.

64 Ravishankar, sitarist nonpareil Read about the life and work of the legendary sitarist.

70 Of shikaras and heaven on earth 24 A nostalgic journey to the all-time favourite TV serial, Gul Gulshan Gulfam, made into a book with the same title.

On the cover: A dance by Mansi Karani and troupe as part of Odyssey, the virtual Rotary institute. 64 Picture by Vivek Advani

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 3 LETTERS

An excellent editorial on the pandemic

s I opened the Jan issue of We have also become more tech- Athe magazine, right from the nology savvy. We reached out to Inside page, down to the LBW colour friends and relatives through umn by TCA Srinivasa Raghavan, video calls/WhatsApp and worked titled Absence of strong views… from home using internet. one human character that struck We developed a more inclusive me is ﬂexibility. social perspective as we came to- Rasheeda’s words in the editori- gether to help each other, espe- al: “If this virus has taught us some cially the underprivileged families lessons and helped us become bet- during tough times. ter human beings...” is my hope Hope these virtual meets will Above all, the pandemic helped too. Let us pray we all learn the be part of all major district events, to heal the environment around us. right lessons from this pandemic. not for free of course, but with We gained a cleaner environment Happy new year to you and your a nominal payment and open as we stayed put in our homes team at the Chennai ofﬁce. to Rotarians from not only the and nature got back some of its Nan Narayenen respective districts but all around pristine beauty. We also learnt the RC Madurai West — D 3000 the world. importance of preserving our en- R Murali, RC Coimbatore vironment. ice to read your January ed- West — D 3201 Raj Kumar Kapoor Nitorial. One thing is for sure RC Roopnagar — D 3080 that this pandemic is a boon for he Editor has elaborated upon Rotary as we in different parts of Tthe post-corona world in a nice ongrats to Editor Rasheeda for the world would not have had a manner under the headline What Ca well-compiled Jan issue. All chance of knowing each other and this pandemic has taught us. She articles are interesting to read. A connecting with so many people has written it with both substance season of Hope and Opportunity and knowing them face-to-face. If and sensitivity. This pandemic has by RID Dr Bharat Pandya is excel- not personally, but surely virtually, brought about drastic changes in lent as it highlights the issues and we have seen our counterparts in our lifestyle and daily routine as we problems faced by masses across most parts of the world. spent quality time with our families. the world during the pandemic.

Salute to better and the community women in Mysuru have Kudos to RC Bombay Rtn Chakravarthi a better place to live in.” become entrepreneurs. Mahakali Heights for their for donating his Rtn Bikkina Chakravarthi Congrats to the club. meaningful donations to son’s organs has donated the organs of S Muniandi, RC tribal girls. trategic planning is a his brain-dead son Srikanth, Dindigul Fort — D 3000 Dr Pon Muthaiyan Smust to achieve suc- thus giving a new lease of RC Aduthurai — D 2981 cess in all areas of life life to four persons. Hats- he cover photo of the including Rotary, as was off to this family. It is note- TJan issue was excel- Features on nicely said by RI President worthy that RC Mysuru is lent. The photos in the Afghanistan, Holger Knaack. RI director running tailoring and beau- article When pictures speak Mohammed Rafi Bharat Pandya has rightly tician courses for the last 17 are lively. Hats-off to Rtn s soon as the post- put it by stating “let us years charging a minimum Bikkina Chakravarthi for Aman delivered the Jan build ourselves better so of `1,000 per head. So donating organs of his issue, I hurriedly opened that we can make our clubs far, 1,500 underprivileged deceased son Srikanth. it to have a quick glance.

4 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Letters to the Editor - February 2021.indd 4 1/28/2021 12:08:04 PM LETTERS

articles. Wish the RNT team a happy new year. Appreciation from a non-Rotarian Darshan Singh Baid The article on mammography RC Kharar — D 3080 congratulate you for bringing equipment by the editor shows I out Rotary News in an excel- that many hands with one mind lent manner. he feature on Afghanistan turns can make wonders and consistent I received the January issue the spotlight on the prevailing efforts lead to big achievements. T recently and liked your editorial, socio-economic conditions in that Another piece on a grief-stricken the overall content, and especial- war-ravaged country. Women have borne Rotarian couple is heartrending. ly the article Afghanistan: more the brunt of cruelty under the Taliban RC Rasipuram donates cows to questions than answers. rule. This brutal regime never gave transform lives of rural women by Please include us as a special importance to the education of children. V Muthukumaran is truly inspiring and guest in your mailing list to re- We are looking forward to the second also presents a novel project idea. S R ceive the magazine. Wish you a part of this feature on Afghanistan. Madhu has nicely penned the incom- R Vasudevan, RC Kumbakonam wonderful 2021 ahead. parable qualities of singer Mohammad Dr Srikanta K Panigrahi Central — D 2981 Raﬁ and the magic of his voice. Best director general, Indian wishes to the editorial team. Institution of Sustainable Chennai flower sellers: Shraddha V Pai, RC Thane Development (IISD) Will Rotary come forward? Green City — D 3142 he cover story on Chennai’s flower he article on Mohammad Raﬁ Tsellers in the Dec issue is really issue after sometime. It is better to Tby S R Madhu was mesmerising heart touching as it made us realise that give training to such women in mak- with its beautiful lay-out, lovely anec- in the Covid pandemic many people ing agarbattis from the flowers and dotes and pictures that brought back are still suffering financially as well sell them at good rates. the memories of my college days. as mentally. Rotary clubs must take the initia- A nostalgic reading for me. You have portrayed the real-life tive in training the flower sellers, get Thank you, the writer and the situation of these women, but the fea- them work, finance their vocation and editorial team for giving us such a ture should have come out with steps market their produce to support their beautiful new year gift! Rotarians need to take for bringing livelihood. Further, Rotary agarbattis Guru Dutt, RC Dombivli relief to such people suffering due can be marketed which will improve East — D 3142 to the pandemic. So that we can take these women’s financial condition measures to improve their financial and also enhance the public image condition in these difficult times. of Rotary. I feel all will read the article, Rajesh S Pardeshi The cover, quality of content, print appreciate it and forget about this RC Ahmednagar Central — D 3132 and pictures are superb for which the credit goes to Editor Rasheeda Bhagat We welcome your feedback. Write to the Editor: and her team. [email protected]; [email protected]. I explored the pages and wanted Mail your project details, along with hi-res photos, to read many articles in detail. And to [email protected] the last page (inside cover) made me to pause with a couple of snippets Messages on your club/district projects, information and links on zoom meetings/ titled Heart in a bag and Scientists webinar should be sent only by e-mail to the Editor at [email protected] discover new organ in throat. This or [email protected] WHATSAPP MESSAGES forced me to go through that column WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED. instantly. The features on Afghanistan Click on Rotary News Plus in our website and Mohammad Rafi, among others, www.rotarynewsonline.org to read about more Rotary projects. quenched my thirst for reading good

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 5

Letters to the Editor - February 2021.indd 5 1/28/2021 12:08:04 PM President Speaks

Peacebuilding: Rotary’s action speaks larger then words

reaching around 400 extended family and com- n Rotary, Feb 23 is our anniversary, and February munity members. These inspiring but marginal- is also the month when we focus on promoting ised women will reclaim their inner strength as Ipeace. There is a reason for this: Contributing peacebuilders at the grassroots level. In this way, to peace and international understanding has been we will take steps toward the sustainable, peaceful a high priority for us since our earliest days. society we need so much, not only in our region, but We are often asked: “How can we get involved throughout the world. — Nino Lotishvili in peace now?” There are many paths to peace in I was excited to join the peace incubator pro- Rotary. Our youth programmes point us in the ject and to further strengthen my ties with Rotary’s direction of Positive Peace, as does the work of peace community by working with past and current Nino intercountry committees and the Rotary Action peace fellows to develop these proposals. My team Lotishvili Group for Peace. wrote five proposals — three in Bangladesh, one Founder and Another path is the Rotarian Peace Projects in Iraq, and one in Poland — that focus on the CEO, Incubator (RPPI), an inspirational collabora- arts and on education to generate dialogue across Peace Research tion among Rotarians, Rotaractors and Rotary religious divisions and avert the radicalisation of Center Tbilisi Peace Fellows and alumni. Led by Rotarians in young people. I was inspired by how, despite the and Mindful Switzerland and Liechtenstein, RPPI has designed pandemic, we came together via technology with a Georgia 48 global projects that any club can support, either vision to develop, test, and strengthen ideas and to directly or through Rotary Foundation global grants. produce workable solutions that clubs across the Nino Lotishvili and Matthew Johnsen, alumni world can support to advance peace. I am excited to of the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn work with Rotary’s peace community to transform University in Bangkok, Thailand, are two of the these visions into reality. — Matthew Johnsen many volunteers. Here is further proof that in Rotary, we prefer During my Rotary peace journey, I have action to words. This is Rotary at its best. I encour- learned how personal resilience helps build inner age you to visit rppi.ch to explore the projects and Matthew peace and create sustainable outer peace. This was support them. Johnsen the inspiration behind the Women Peace Ambas- We have lasted 116 years because of our Professor emeritus and sadors for the South Caucasus project, which is strong ethics, our passion for Service Above Self, founding based on my field research in Georgia. The RPPI and our unique approach to problem-solving. One co-direc- team of Rotarians and peace fellows recognised the of our greatest strengths is how we reach across tor, Center incredible potential of women from mixed-ethnicity our communities and across national, ethnic, reli- for Social Innovation, families who live on borderlands to be role models gious and political divisions to unite people of all Worcester for peace within and beyond their communities. backgrounds and to help others. This month, let’s State Through workshops on building inner and outer celebrate our history and the many ways that Rotary University, peace that draw on the power of storytelling, Opens Opportunities to advance world understand- Massachusetts 40 participants will be sharing their stories and ing, goodwill and peace, our ultimate mission.

Holger Knaack President, Rotary International 6 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

President Message - February 2021.indd 6 1/8/2021 4:04:59 PM Where schools are a ‘fragile lifeline’ for girls…

ven as RI President Holger Knaack advised the how this pandemic has been much harsher on girls incoming district governors at the zone institute and women. Sowmya pointed out that both domestic Eaptly titled ‘The Odyssey’ to embrace the dig- violence and trafficking of women have insidiously ital era, the organisers managed to pull off a remark- increased in the Covid-19 era, and urged Rotarians and ably impressive virtual institute. Rotary India’s trio world leaders to also deal with the corona aftermath comprising RI director Kamal Sanghvi, RIDE Mahesh with “compassion”. Haque painted a grim scenario of Kotbagi (who chaired GETS) and institute chair PDG how severely the education of girls has been affected. Sanjay Khemka harnessed solid hard work, creativity She said UNESCO estimates that globally 11 million and some slick and creative technology to give the feel girls might not return to school this year due to the of a physical event. You logged in, took a virtual walk unprecedented disruption in schooling during the pan- to the central auditorium and other areas. The whole demic. Even before the pandemic, “an estimated 30 experience left you marvelling at the constant innova- million children in India were out of schools; 40 per tion that technology enables. cent being adolescent girls.” Also, in India girls get As I traversed the galaxy, session after session, 4.4 years in school compared to seven years for boys. Sanghvi’s statement that the institute team had tried hard “This indicates the threat to decades of work in gender to get the best women speakers too, in consonance with equality and also puts girls at the risk of adolescent Rotary’s goal to not only increase women’s member- pregnancy, early forced marriage and violence. We, of ship but also leadership, rang true. Some of the women course, have the dubious distinction of having one of speakers really dazzled, giving us hard truths about the the largest shares of child brides in the world, and this pandemic from both a professional and a gender per- is predicted to rise due to the pandemic. In June and spective. WHO chief scientist Sowmya Swaminathan, in July 2020 alone distress calls to Childline India related her signature, no-fuss fashion, explained to the delegates to early marriage of girls went up 17 per cent. You how and why some of the most developed countries had wanted to cry when she said: “For many girls, school recorded high Covid infections and mortality rates. This is more than a key to a better future. It is a lifeline, was because of failure to invest adequately in a robust albeit a fragile one.” Ponder over this…. public healthcare system so essential to deal effectively As also the inequity in accessing digital learning with epidemics and pandemics. Her message was clear — tools by girls compared to boys, and how disastrous such investments do not give tangible results but are cru- this will be in an era in which more and more learning cial in prevention and control of a plethora of diseases. will shift to online platforms in the future. Both Sowmya and UNICEF India head, Yasmin Even though fragile, let us provide the lifeline of Ali Haque, tugged at the heartstrings of Rotary lead- education to our girls, and then handhold them to safer ers attending the institute with shocking figures on shores and a future filled with hope.

Rasheeda Bhagat

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 7

K_Editors Note _February 2021.indd 7 02-02-2021 17:08:39 Governors Council RI Dist 2981 DG R Balaji Babu RI Dist 2982 DG K S Venkatesan Message from RI Dist 3000 DG A L Chokkalingam RI Dist 3011 DG Sanjiv Rai Mehra RI Dist 3012 DG Alok Gupta RI Dist 3020 DG Muttavarapu Satish Babu One-to-One RI Dist 3030 DG Shabbir Shakir The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on water RI Dist 3040 DG Gajendra Singh Narang The real miracle is to walk well on the Earth. RI Dist 3053 DG Harish Kumar Gaur RI Dist 3054 DG Rajesh Agarwal otary gives us the opportunity to make our earthly RI Dist 3060 DG Prashant Harivallabh Jani Rwalk special. And one of the best ways it does that RI Dist 3070 DG CA Davinder Singh is through our work in the field of peace, goodwill and RI Dist 3080 DG Ramesh Bajaj world understanding. Peace starts at home, in every RI Dist 3090 DG Vijay Arora corner of our house and everything we say and do. All of RI Dist 3100 DG Manish Sharda us also should know that peace in our own lives, much like attitude, is a choice. Peace RI Dist 3110 DG Dinesh Chandra Shukla RI Dist 3120 DG Karunesh Kumar Srivastava is not just the absence of war, it is also about feeling safe, having enough food to feed RI Dist 3131 DG Rashmi Vinay Kulkarni your family, an opportunity to get education and thrive without being handicapped RI Dist 3132 DG Harish Motwani by avoidable diseases. I believe Rotary is all about hope. Hope for a brighter future RI Dist 3141 DG Sunnil Mehra and better world for future generations. In a world filled with conflict, war, terrorism RI Dist 3142 DG Dr Sandeep Kadam and darkness Rotary offers a ray of hope by working for peace and goodwill. Our RI Dist 3150 DG Nalla Venkata Hanmanth Reddy work for peace doesn’t happen only at conferences and seminars. It happens through RI Dist 3160 DG B Chinnapa Reddy personal relationships, service, meeting basic human needs and working with each RI Dist 3170 DG Sangram Vishnu Patil RI Dist 3181 DG M Ranganath Bhat other to resolve conflicts. It happens through reaching across borders and continents RI Dist 3182 DG B Rajarama Bhat and helping develop conditions that allow peace to flourish. RI Dist 3190 DG B L Nagendra Prasad Global conflict has created a huge crisis with an estimated 68.5 million refugees. RI Dist 3201 DG Jose Chacko Madhavassery The economic impact of violence on the global economy in 2019 was $14.5 trillion in RI Dist 3202 DG Dr Hari Krishnan Nambiar purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. This figure is equivalent to 10.6 per cent of the RI Dist 3211 DG Dr Thomas Vavanikunnel world’s economic activity (gross world product) or $1,909 per person. According to RI Dist 3212 DG P N B Murugadoss the Global Peace Index, 81 countries became more peaceful in 2019 and 80 countries RI Dist 3231 DG K Pandian RI Dist 3232 DG S Muthupalaniappan less so. Peacefulness has declined year after year for nine of the last 12 years. This is RI Dist 3240 DG Subhasish Chatterjee something we in Rotary can and should do something about. Rotary’s Peace Scholars RI Dist 3250 DG Rajan Gandotra programme is aimed at tackling issues of global conflict. RI Dist 3261 DG Fakir Charan Mohanty Peace is a state of harmony characterised by absence of violence, freedom from RI Dist 3262 DG Saumya Rajan Mishra fear and a good quality of life. Service is an activity performed for the benefit of RI Dist 3291 DG Sudip Mukherjee others. Individually they are dissimilar, but look closely, and they are interlinked and intertwined. When basic needs — food, water, shelter, health — are not met peace is difficult to achieve. When people are hungry, homeless there is a tendency Printed by P T Prabhakar at Rasi Graphics Pvt Ltd, 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014, to fight and grab, with resultant conflict. Three Bs — Bread, Bed and Basic India, and published by P T Prabhakar on behalf education — are needed for positive peace. Rotary is working for positive peace by of Rotary News Trust from Dugar Towers, 3rd Flr, meeting the needs of the community. Rotary service is peace in action. 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008. Significantly, Prof Muhammad Yunus got a Nobel prize not for Economics, which Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat. was widely expected, but Peace, because he had enhanced the livelihood of poor women and lifted them out of poverty. The views expressed by contributors are not Tolerance, integrity and service are the three cornerstones of positive peace. necessarily those of the Editor or Trustees of Rotary News Trust (RNT) or Rotary International Rotary’s peace efforts are the example of the power of one — one Rotarian, one club, (RI). No liability can be accepted for any loss one district multiplied many times. Make most of the opportunity. Enjoy Rotary, arising from editorial or advertisement content. enjoy yourself. Contributions – original content – is welcome but the Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length. Content can be reproduced with permission and attributed to RNT. Dr Bharat Pandya RI Director, 2019–21

8 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

P_RI Direstors Message_Trustees list_Feb 21.indd 8 02-02-2021 17:23:47 Board of Permanent Trustees & RI Directors Executive Committee PRIP Rajendra K Saboo RI Dist 3080 PRIP Kalyan Banerjee RI Dist 3060 Fostering RIPE Shekhar Mehta RI Dist 3291 PRID Panduranga Setty RI Dist 3190 global peace PRID Sushil Gupta RI Dist 3011 PRID Ashok Mahajan RI Dist 3141 PRID P T Prabhakar RI Dist 3232 PRID Dr Manoj D Desai RI Dist 3060 Dear Rotary leaders, PRID C Basker RI Dist 3000 Conflict and violence have displaced millions TRF Trustee Gulam A Vahanvaty RI Dist 3141 of people around the world over the years. We RID Dr Bharat Pandya RI Dist 3141 Rotarians should refuse to accept conflict as a RID Kamal Sanghvi RI Dist 3250 way of life, as our community service projects strive to provide training RIDE A S Venkatesh RI Dist 3232 that fosters understanding and provides communities with skills to resolve RIDE Dr Mahesh Kotbagi RI Dist 3131 such conflicts. Rotary promotes peace and reduces conflicts and tensions around the Executive Committee Members (2020–21) world not only through its service projects, but also peace fellowships. DG Sanjiv Rai Mehra RI Dist 3011 Both our members and scholars are constantly and continuously taking Chair – Governors Council action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, DG Sudip Mukherjee RI Dist 3291 inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education and unequal distri- Secretary – Governors Council bution of resources. DG Sangram Vishnu Patil RI Dist 3170 For me, peace is giving food to the hungry, limbs to the handicapped, Secretary – Executive Committee sight to the blind, home to the homeless, water to the thirsty and oppor- DG Prashant Harivallabh Jani RI Dist 3060 tunity to learn for the illiterate. Just imagine how much of all this we Treasurer – Executive Committee Rotarians did across the world as an unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic DG S Muthupalaniappan RI Dist 3232 devastated the world. As countries locked down for long periods and Member – Advisory Committee economic activity was severely curtailed, people struggled with their livelihoods. Businesses were impacted and thousands and thousands lost ROTARY NEWS / their jobs. The disadvantaged sections of our communities, infected by this ROTARY SAMACHAR virus, struggled to get adequate treatment. Just look at the way Rotarians Editor across the world came out, bravely and passionately, to feed the hungry Rasheeda Bhagat and the homeless, and stood shoulder to shoulder with their governments and healthcare providers by providing masks, sanitisers and PPE kits in Senior Assistant Editor huge numbers, bolstering hospital equipment, setting up ventilators and Jaishree Padmanabhan doing all that it took to bring comfort to the sick and the hungry. While on the one hand the Rotary Peace Centres programme creates peace scholars who work for conflict resolution and promote peace, in ROTARY NEWS / the Covid era, all of us became promotors of world peace through our ROTARY SAMACHAR passion to do good. ROTARY NEWS TRUST Let us all pledge to continue our efforts to bring succour to those 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, who are suffering the aftermath of this pandemic, help our governments 34 Marshalls Road, Egmore vaccinate our people and be a beacon of hope and peace during these Chennai 600 008, India. difficult times. Phone : 044 42145666 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.rotarynewsonline.org

Now share articles from Kamal Sanghvi rotarynewsonline.org on WhatsApp. RI Director, 2019–21

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 9

P_RI Direstors Message_Trustees list_Feb 21.indd 9 02-02-2021 17:23:49 Time to “upscale our performance” Shekhar Mehta

Rasheeda Bhagat

miss shaking hands and institute titled ‘The Odyssey’ that International Assembly — had to go exchanging warm hugs in this hope was now turning into real- virtual “denying thousands of Rotari- picturesque Kochi, but in this ity with several vaccines on the hori- ans the joy of fellowship, networking I new normal, this outstanding zon, “created in record time against and learning, and yet we look forward institute has been organised virtu- the biggest disaster that we’ve seen to a healthier world.” ally. The human spirit has taken up in our lifetime.” Urging Rotarians to the challenge of the Covid pandemic celebrate the spirit of hope and human- with resilience, grit, patience, disci- ity, Mehta said hope allows people plinepline andand aboveabove all,all, hope,hope, whichwhich isis a toto “survive,“survive, adaptadapt andand excelexcel despitedesp powerfulpowerful tthing.hing. It inspiresinspires us to do adversitiesadversities tatakingking such a horriblehorrible tollt Mehta announced that Rotar- thethe impossibleimpossible andand helpshelpsp usus carrycarrr y on duringduring thisthis annusannus horribilishorribilis. FoForr RaRashi ians “will do our best to help govern- duringduring diffidifficultcult timtimes,”es,” ssaidaia d RI andand me,me, it hhasas bbeeneen a yeyearara bbestesest foforgot-rg ments in the vaccination process.” PresidentPresident ElectElE ece t ShekharShS ekhhar ten;tenn; bbetweeneetweeen uuss we lostlost a deard In India, along with PRIP Rajendra Mehta,MeM hta, addressingadddressining fatherfathhere andandd a mother.mottheh r. WeWe llost Saboo, he and other Rotary lead- thethe iinauguralnaugural seses-s- ourouur deardeeara BinotadiBinotadi (w(wifewiffe of ers had met Union Health Minister sionsion ofof thethe RIRI zonezone PRIPPRRIPP KalyanKalyan Banerjee)Baannerje Harshvardhan and the Niti Aayog lead- institute.innststiti uttee. andand ourour specialspecial ffrfriendie ers. Work had started at the grassroots HeH toldtold partici-pparrtticci- YashYaYashh (PRID(PRRIDI Y P Das).”Daas)s) in UP, Karnataka and other places, pantspap nts ata thethee virtualvirttuall TwoTTwo ofo RI’sRII’s biggestbbiggg “where Rotary had been invited by eventsevents — ConventionConveentn iioon anda these states as people with polio vaccination experience.” He added that as Rotarians, “there RIPE Shekhar Mehta is a lot that we can do to stop Covid. We can help in the distribution of vaccines, provide training and certification to vaccinators. We can provide our hospitals, blood banks, schools etc as vaccination centres and also help in social mobilisation, advocacy against vaccine resistance, etc.” Mehta added: “Polio gave us a silver lining last year and with Africa declared polio-free we are this close to ending polio. The last leg of the marathon is most crucial and painful but the runner’s eyes are on the finishing line and not on the pain. Let us put our best foot forward and contribute to TRF for polio because our contributions

K_Time to upscale our performance Shekhar Mehta_1.indd 10 02-02-2021 17:10:06 the PM Cares Fund, “you have done While Rotary in Nepal and Rotarians can help in vaccine immense work at the grassroots level, Pakistan was also adopting these pro- providing masks, sanitisers, medical grammes, “the GoI is now working distribution, provide training to equipment, food, etc, taking the com- with African nations and wants to help YDFFLQDWRUVR൵HURXUKRVSLWDOV bined worth of both to “nearly a value them with this and other additional of $30 million in India including the content for learning.” blood banks, schools etc as contribution to the PM Cares Fund. Saying that this pandemic “has vaccination centres and do advocacy And this did not impact our contribu- given us the time and opportunity against vaccine resistance. tion to TRF. We reached our goal.” to sharpen our axe”, Mehta urged Rotarians to take up projects of much bigger size and far-reaching impact. RIPE Shekhar Mehta “I take great pride in the service activities, growth and impact that Rotary The incoming RI president said is making in South Asia. Next I hope last year the service projects done in you will take up the challenge of ‘each are multiplied by TRF and the Gates our zones in all the Rotary’s areas one bring one’ in the next 18 months.” Foundation.” of focus were outstanding. Whether Along with increasing member- it was tree plantation, solar projects, ship, there was also need to set up blood banks, dialysis centres, heart more flexible clubs… satellite clubs, surgeries for children, or building rural cause-based clubs etc. “The opportu- toilets, WinS, etc, great work had been nities are great. In the past we have The challenge of the pandemic done. “I feel particularly proud of the expanded our reach, now is the time had also made “us flexible nimble, more work done by RILM. The nearly 1,500 to upscale our performance.” connected anandd nenearlyarly oomnipresent.mnipresent. LiLikeke hours of audio-visual content that we He added: “Let our giving to TRF alallll of yyou,ou, I too havehave zoozoomedmed acroacrossss provided to the GoI is of outstand- also go up like never before. mmemeetings,etings, sometimessometimes panningpanninng severalseveraal ing quality according to the Currently Trustee Chair ccocontinents,ntinents, inin justjust a singlesingllee day.day. OneOOnne government itself. And the K R Ravindran is from ppaparticularrticular dday,ay, I wawass inn AAfrica,ffriccaa, SSouthouo thth government’s numbers our zone, and from AAmAmericaerica USUS,, EuEuroperopee aandnnd SSouthouthth AAsia.”sia.” say that along with other July 1, the RI pres- HHee addedadded thatthat RRC DDelhielhhi SSouthouthh content, it has got 400 ident will be from WWeWest,st, RIRIDD 303011,11, hahass bbeeneen oorganisingrggaannisising million hits.” our zone. We’ve fforor ththee 20 yyearsears a ssit-and-drawiit-aand-draw cocom-om- ppetition.etition. LaLastst yyearear ththeyhey hhadad 66,000,00000 ppar-arr- Institute convener ticiticipants;pants; thisthis yearyeaar at thetht e virtualvirtual eventeevenent RI director Kamal Sanghvi wwhichhich he participatedparticippated in,in, overoveerr 12,00012,000 cchildrenhildren fromfrom 20 ccountriesountrir es pparticipated.aartiiccipatet d. ThThee lelessonsssons lelearntarntt ffromrom thtthee pappandemicanndeemmiicc wwillill now allowallow RRotariansottarians ttoo gegetet tththee bebestst fromfrom bothboth thethee vvirtualirtual aandndnd pphysi-hyysi- ccalal world.world. “Our“Our speedsppeeeed to holdhoold meet-mem ett- iingsngs anandd tatakeke ddecisionseciissions hahass inincreasedncreaseed cconsiderably,”onsiderably,” hhee sasaid.id. ThThehe RIRI BBoardoaoardd nnowow memeetsets eveveryery alalternateternate mmomonthontth anandnd tthehe TrTrusteesustees aareree ““aa shshadeada e bebetter.ettt err. ThTTheyheyy mmeeteet eeveryvery mmonthonntthh aandndn qquickuiuickk ddecisionseccisi ioons aarere nonoww ththee ououtcometct omo e fofollowingollllowo ining ththee iincreasingncreasing aabilitybilittyy ttoo adadapt.”dappt.t ” ThThankinganking RRotariansottara iiaanns fforor theirtheh iir gen-geenn- eerosityrosity duringduring thethee pandemic,pannddemic, hehe saidsas idid ththatat aapartpart ffromrom a hugehuhugee contributionconntrt ibbuutioion too

K_Time to upscale our performance Shekhar Mehta_1.indd 11 02-02-2021 17:10:07 always excelled in TRF giving during such times. Let’s do it once more with our focus also on annual and polio giving.” Concluding on an optimistic note, he said that hope was the elixir of life. “It leads to innovation, discoveries and excellence. We have hope of a totally literate South Asia, hope of working with our governments to bring water, sanitation and empowerment to our communities, leading to the hope of peace in our world.”

Institute chair PDG Sanjay Khemka In his opening speech, institute convener and RI director Kamal Sang- has impelled us to spend time with environmentalists, lawyers, actors, hvi said for all the pain it had brought, our families.” poets, entertainers, and bankers will the corona pandemic had also done Technology was an integral part of speak to us, to make this an institute of some good. “We have started clean- this new reality and had helped improve knowledge.” ing our houses and surroundings on educational practices. Digitalisation of Of course, he added, “there is no a regular basis, and nature is healing education was already under way “but greater joy than finishing the race and and thanks to our minimised move- this crisis has accelerated the transfor- the last hurdle for ending polio from ment, has got a well-deserved break. mation. And RILM has initiated per- the entire world still remains, but we Flamingoes have painted Mumbai haps the world’s largest online learning will remove it and finish that race.” pink and the Himalayas can now programme, along with the NCERT and In his welcome address, institute be seen from Jalandhar. Delhi has a the HRD ministry, benefitting nearly 15 chair PDG Sanjay Khemka said that clear blue sky. Family relationships crore children across in India.” while it was a heartbreaking and tough have strengthened as this pandemic RILM had also launched a pilot call to move the institute from the skilling programmes titled Saksham “lush backwaters of Kerala to a virtual Bharat to skill young adults with guar- platform, we took that call and did it.” anteed employment. He announced As he pointed out, optimum use Covid has done some good too; we that 51 young adults had graduated of the best technology had been made that very day with job placement, and to give the participants a feel of enter- clean our houses and surroundings “the next 100 will graduate shortly; ing an actual auditorium to listen to on a regular basis, and nature is during this year we want to skill 5,000 the speakers, and the visual effects people under this programme.” were stunning. Khemka added that healing and got a well-deserved Sanghvi said virtual platforms the delegates would get a flavour of break. Flamingoes have painted had increased both meetings and con- Kerala through a gift hamper that was Mumbai pink, the Himalayas can nections. “The needs in the world are put together with products made with greater than ever before. It’s like climb- natural products by a group of disad- be seen from Jalandhar and Delhi ing a steep mountain yet the mountain vantaged women who had formed an has a clear blue sky. has to be climbed.” The institute team organisation called Wild Ideas. had traversed the unknown and cre- The institute also had virtual The Odyssey RI Director Kamal Sanghvi ated , bringing as speakers stalls and he urged the participants some of the world’s greatest “achievers, to visit them. businessmen, thinkers, doers, speakers and deliberators; 14 CEOs, educators, Designed by N Krishnamurthy

12 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Time to upscale our performance Shekhar Mehta_1.indd 12 02-02-2021 17:10:07 Message from TRF Trustee Chair Message from TRF Trustee The satisfaction of stepping up Contribute to TRF

iving is more than an activity. It is a way Dear Rotary members, of life and a beacon in the search for Ghope in troubled times. There is great ow difficult is it for turmoil today, but these are not unusual times, leaders to find the not in the span of human history. The wisdom Hright words to moti- of the ages is especially important to help us set vate people in difficult times, our path and purpose. which offer little by way of Such wisdom comes from the 12th-century philosopher known hope? Despite vaccines on the horizon, we are as Maimonides. Born in Córdoba, Spain, he and his family went still grappling with the pandemic. into exile in Morocco to escape religious persecution. As a young It’s clear that we can no longer live and work man, he mastered Aristotle, astronomy, and later medicine. After the way we always have; we need to find a new moving to Cairo, Maimonides became known as the city’s greatest normal. Most of us have regimented lifestyles. We rabbi, producing tomes of commentary on the Torah, and he lived wake up every morning, follow set routines and out his final days as a renowned doctor. keep company with the same set of people. Whilst But his greatest gift to humanity captured his thoughts about giv- routine may be a source of comfort, it dulls our ing itself. His Eight Levels of Charity is a masterpiece that teaches senses. We also need stimulation — a freshness us about what giving means and what motivates us to do it. that vitalises a humdrum existence. This is what The bottom rung of Maimonides’ ladder is giving out of pity Rotary does. It transforms us by giving us oppor- or grudgingly. The next step up is giving less than one should, but tunities to be effective leaders and a platform to doing so cheerfully. Climb up to the fifth rung and you are giving make a difference and do good in the world. As before being asked. Further up the ladder is giving in a way that the leaders, we have to motivate all Rotarians to con- receiver does not know who the giver is. The eighth and highest level tribute to TRF, best done by telling a story. of charity is to anticipate distress and giving to avoid or prevent it. A young landlord threatens his aged tenant When we immunise children against polio, we are anticipating with eviction if rent is not paid. The tenant, a potential illness. We do so with other efforts, such as Rotary projects shop owner, explains times are difficult, there is that reduce the incidence of malaria or cervical cancer. no business and implores him to be considerate When we teach someone a profession that enables them to earn but the landlord gruffly refuses. That evening the a living, we apply the eighth step. From microfinance to education, landlord goes to his sister’s for dinner, praises the The Rotary Foundation helps us give the gift of self-reliance. spread only to find that she has lost her job. The All of this good work awaits us, as does the work of supporting dinner on the table is thanks to a kindly gesture of newborns, cleaning water sources, recovering from the Covid-19 her grocery store owner. The brother asks to meet pandemic, and countless other efforts we lead. her benefactor, who has been invited too. You I am proud to say that many Rotary members climb to the top guessed right. A man who did not have enough of Maimonides’ ladder. Many of them do so anonymously. Who- money to pay his own rent, provided goods on ever they are and for whatever reason they share their gifts with the credit to a customer facing difficult circum- Foundation, I thank them. stances. The sheepish landlord waived the rent. As an organisation, Rotary climbs that ladder as well. Every one There is so much truth in the saying “As you give, of your donations helps us reach higher levels. As we climb this so shall you receive.” ladder as one, we gain a wider perspective. We see all those who What better way to assist people in times of need to be uplifted as well as the countless opportunities we have uncertainty than a simple contribution to TRF, to help them in Rotary. And as we do so, we find our own meaning which is used to do good in the world. Stay safe and purpose. and stay well!

K R Ravindran Gulam A Vahanvaty Foundation Trustee Chair Trustee, The Rotary Foundation

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 13

Trustee Chair's Message + Gulam Message - February 2021.indd 13 1/28/2021 1:26:49 PM Let us embrace the digital age Holger Knaack

Rasheeda Bhagat

he Covid pandemic, while which moves faster and is harder to stronger, more adaptable and more bringing so much suffering to comprehend. And it is filled with cri- aligned to our world as it is today.” Tthe entire globe, has also ena- ses to manage. And yet it gives us new Calling upon the incoming gov- bled Rotary to open opportunities in opportunities.” ernors to embrace the challenges the many different ways, such as this insti- He said even before this crisis, post-Covid world is going to throw tute and the virtual meetings we hold. people were meeting and keeping con- up, Knaack said that crucial values of These are so important as they bring nected to different friends in different Rotary, such as fellowship, integrity, leaders together to brainstorm on how ways. “Social media and online con- leadership, service and diversity “will to take on the challenges ahead. We nections were already there but they remain constant. But Rotary has to are now in a time of rapid change and have now become more important. We change and will change and even if some we have to keep working together to are all now used to working virtually. fellow Rotarians complain that it doesn’t ensure Rotary comes out of this diffi- Most important, the younger genera- feel like the old Rotary, we will change.” cult time in a much stronger position,” tion that has grown up in this world, Congratulating the DGEs for get- said RI President Holger Knaack, while has a stronger desire for service and ting the unique opportunity to lead their delivering the convocation address at connections.”connections. districts and urging them to make the tthehe GETS event forfor RI But ttheyhey diddidn’tn’t want to wawaitit fforor mostmost ofof it,it, hehe said:said: “it“it isis up toto all of us to zones 4, 5,5, 6 and 7.7. theirtheir timetime to lead.lead. “They“They want to remakeremake Rotary fforor tthesehese neneww times, and StrStrikingiking a penpen-- playplay meanmeaningfulingful rorolesles totoday.day. toto wholeheartedlywholeheartedly embraceembrace the ideals sive note,note, he And if Rotary cannot pro-pro- and commitments of youngeryoung people sasaid,id, “Rotary videvide tthemhem a pplatform,latform, ttheyhey eagereager to fifindnd an outletoutlet forfor theirthei idealism. wwasas foundedfounded willwill formform theirtheir own types WeWe must becomebecome an organisationorgani that in a world that ofof connectionsconnections andand findfind embracesembraces the digitaldigital age,age, andand make it a doesdoesn’tn’t existexist opportunities.opportunities. TheThe worldworld partpart ofof allall thatthat we do.do. It isis importantimp that any longer,longer, will not slowslow downdown forfor us, wewe create a new Rotary forfor theth new age. iitt isis a differ-differ- let us capture this momentmoment Rotary is not justjust a club thattha you join, ent worworldld now, to grow Rotary, makemake itit itit isis an invitationinvitation forfor endlessendles opportu- nitiesnities inin bothboth big andand historichistor projects suchsuch as endingending poliopolio as wellwe as small RI President communitycommunity projectsprojects at the clubc level.” Holger Knaack Ideas for change PuttingPutting forth a bunch of ididease on how Rotary would chanchange,ge, he saisaidd one of the waysways wouldwould bbee “by“by creatcreatingin new and different club models. YoYoungu people ccanan be the architects of these new clubs. WeWe hhaveave to bbee open to new aapproaches. SSomeome neneww clubs can be forformedm around a RotarRotaryy aarearea of focus. Or mmaybe each districtdistrict coucouldld hhaveave a cclublub ooff its alumni. OOrr newnew clubs could be aassociated

K_Let us embrace the digital age-Holger Knaack_1.indd 14 02-02-2021 17:09:15 or affiliated with corporates or some organisations. The possibilities and opportunities are limitless. I am challenging Rotaractors, young Rotarians and DGEs to become architects of this change. I would like them to unleash this creativity and seek new ways to invite new Rotarians to clubs in a way that suits their interests and needs.” Also, underlining the need to embrace diversity, the RI president said an “international approach to diversity” was very essential and district leaders would have to ensure that every club “embraces diversity in ways that are meaningful for members and cultures. The key part of that is the number of women in Rotary everywhere. I am very proud that Jennifer Jones has been elected as RIPN, and From L: RID Kamal Sanghvi, Amita and RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi in President Shekhar’s term, nine positions on the RI Board will be held by has done so much to bring people great opportunity before you to make a women. This is great progress and we together from all parts of the globe. difference in your district and commu- need to see this across our clubs.” Our vision statement is for a world nities. As RI President Elect Shekhar It is important to ensure that where people unite and take action to Mehta advised you, go where the eagles Rotary makes progress along with bring lasting change in our communi- dare, walk your talk. Rotary gives each more women members. “Let us make ties and ourselves,” he added. of us the opportunity to live our dreams, a concerted effort to reach out to peo- Knaack also urged every Rotary opportunity to think big and make a dif- ple who feel left out and find ways to club to set up its plan and vision. ference to the world by doing good.” make them feel a part of the Rotary “I would like every Rotary club to Urging them to make the most of family.” In building leadership within have a strategic meeting at least once a the one valuable year given to them, the organisation people should be year, and ask where its members want Sanghvi said, “You are the chosen ones selected for leadership positions at to be in five years and define what from your districts and the community, every level based on their talent and value they bring to their members.” you are future leaders of not only Rotary inclination to lead, “regardless of their Rotarians know what makes Rotary so but your community and the onus lies background. We should not forget that unique but people in the communities on your shoulders that the confidence ours is a wonderful organisation that need to know the value of Rotary and invested in you is justified. Take the the kind of opportunities members leadership within you to a higher plat- who join Rotary get. This was a chal- form. Evolve, grow and make sure you lenge all Rotarians needed to take up. justify the confidence placed in you.” /HWXVPDNHDFRQFHUWHGH൵RUWWR RI director Kamal Sanghvi thanked The governors, who had all turned GETS and GNTS chair Mahesh up for the virtual GETS, along with reach out to people who feel left Kotbagi and said he had chosen him to their spouses in their traditional finery, RXWDQG¿QGZD\VWRPDNHWKHP lead the training seminars “well before were all given graduation certificates he became RIDE! I thank him for the online by President Knaack. IHHODSDUWRIWKH5RWDU\IDPLO\ fantastic job he has done in organising Addressing the graduates, RIDE Holger Knaack this training programme so thoroughly Kotbagi asked them to make the best RI President and meticulously.” of the opportunity they had as gov- Addressing the incoming gover- ernors elect, as this one year would nors, he said, “Each of you have got a not return.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 15

K_Let us embrace the digital age-Holger Knaack_1.indd 15 02-02-2021 17:09:16 Shekhar and his movers goal. Your goal should be definite The DGEs were told by incom- and purposeful. So, I went back and ing RI president Shekhar Mehta: rewrote my goals and have been “Remember these are tough times; fairly successful till date.” dedicate this year to the people He counseled the DGEs and around you. But always put family DGNs to seek the support of their first. You are leading a part of a district teams. “Involve them to do 115-year-old organisation, which the job and share the credit. My has a legacy of eradicating polio mentor always said that a DG’s Lessons and transforming lives of millions job is to lubricate the egos of club of people across the world. You’re presidents. And that holds true. As from a country which is a Kohinoor a leader, you must delegate work. in in Rotary’s crown. So, your dreams If you think you can do everything, and plans must be special.” They you will be a failure.” will be district governors during Concluding, the incoming RI leadership Mehta’s year as RI president. president warned with a smile: He referred to the lines from “Your leader has a favourite slogan. Dan Palotta’s book Uncharitable I won’t sleep nor will I let you sleep which he has been reading recently. until a job is done. For this one year, Jaishree “It says between a person heading let us live for others. Be an eagle, an NGO and a CEO of a corporate, soar so high that nobody dares to the NGO head is paid less. But be where eagles dare. At the end of NGOs handle most of the commu- your year, you will look back and he governors-elect and nity’s issues while a corporate is say, ‘those were the most governors-nominee training engaged in enhancing its profits. beautiful 365 days of Tseminars (GETS and GNTS) Being an NGO leader may my life’.” formed a prelude to the Rotary zone be a thankless job but it is a Addressing the institute which went virtual this year. soul-satisfying endeavour.” partners, he said, The training sessions were break- Urging the incoming “You too have out sessions on the zoom platform leaders to dream big, he to get involved and were named after zodiac signs. recalled how as a newbie in serving Rotary GETS, GNTS and Partners’ sessions Rotarian, he had in all inno- and with your push, were followed by an hour of enter- cence said that his goal was tainment during Jan 7–10. GETS and “to become a good gover- GNTS chair RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi nor” in reply to his and his team had pulled out all stops mentor’s ques- to make these training events memo- tion. “He told rable and effective for the incoming me, Shekhar, leaders. that is not a

It is not for medals that we are telling our stories, but to ignite the fire of service in others.

Kamal Sanghvi RI Director GETS and GNTS chair RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi

16 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

P_Lessons in leadership_3.indd 16 02-02-2021 17:23:18 brought sharp focus to Annual Your leader has a favourite Funds. “It is important to grow this fund otherwise our GGs will die a slogan. I won’t sleep nor will slow death. Encourage all Rotarians I let you sleep until a job is done. to contribute whatever they can to the Foundation,” he said. Shekhar Mehta RI President-elect Membership growth RIDE A S Venkatesh and PDG Ravi Vadlamani laid stress on horizons with all that they learn from the importance of membership this training seminar. RIDE Kotbagi development while addressing the observed that this year will be a chal- incoming leaders. “All along we lenging one and with travel restric- have been satisfied with, what I call, RIPE Shekhar Mehta tions it will be a humongous task for the ‘delta changes’ — three or five the district leaders. He christened per cent growth from the previous your spouse will be a really good the DGEs ‘Shekhar and his movers’. year. It is time to think out of the governor.” “Although we could not meet at box now. The order of the day is Kochi as planned much earlier, disruption — not doing the same Enhancing public image I guarantee that you will cherish for thing but something outrageously Institute convener RID Kamal life what you learn on this virtual different,” said Venkatesh, leaving Sanghvi urged the DGEs and DGNs platform,” he promised. a few questions for the incoming to “set your standards high. You leaders to ponder over to make a must first win your own self before Support the Foundation quantum jump in membership. you can win the confidence of your RI Director Bharat Pandya, “Start with the population team. Be passionate about your referring to the enormous support density of your region. You could service activities and greedy for provided by TRF, said, “during say, ‘My district has a population of membership and TRF contributions. these gloomy nine months, TRF 1.5 crore. Let me see if I can bring Create your own benchmarks and had shone as a beacon of hope. 10,000 members.’ Let us not be in tread surefootedly.” He stressed the Despite this darkness importance of public image, saying and despair, Rotarians that Rotarians should popularise remained committed their service activities and Rotary to TRF, in programme experiences on social media. “It is participation and not for medals that we are telling supported the our stories, but to ignite the fire Foundation by raising of service in others. Instead of funds. Individually we publishing the news after doing an may not be able to do eye camp, do it before the camp. much for international Write there, ‘All those who want peace, but the to join to help us, are welcome.’ Foundation helps us People will join hands with you. We contribute our collective need to have a positive image in the energy. Its success community to attract new members tomorrow requires our and keep the existing ones. Both support today.” these are extremely important for He urged the district Rotary to survive.” leaders to promote Institute chair Sanjay Khemka giving to the Annual welcomed the incoming district lead- and Polio Funds. The RIDE A S Venkatesh ers saying that they have to reach the demand for GGs has

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 17

P_Lessons in leadership_3.indd 17 02-02-2021 17:23:18 the comfort zone of 5 or 10 per cent hood,” he said. People sharing sim- growth which has been the norm ilar interests can form clubs. “You Partners’ all these years. Our potential lies in can have clubs for cricket, yoga, etc. our ability and has got nothing to With Rotary’s enhanced flexibility, session do with what our predecessors have the choices are many,” he said. done in the past,” he reiterated. His IDE Kotbagi’s wife Dr Amita next suggestion was to consider the TRF and Polio Ras programme chair and demographic composition of the dis- TRF Trustee Geeta Manek from Sonal Sanghvi as programme tricts. “See if it is reflected in your Kenya urged the incoming leaders convener brought together an membership. Single vocation Rotary to not lose focus on polio immuni- interesting partners’ sessions clubs are also possible now. You sation for “we have worked very for the spouses on all four days. can consider a body of doctors or hard to come this far and the day is advocates to form clubs,” he said. not far off when we can truly cel- On growing clubs, he suggested ebrate the milestone moment. But they study the pattern of growth until then there is no room for com- and how it was propelled. “You placency.” Referring to WHO’s might notice that only 20 per cent recent polio-free certification for of members would have brought in Africa, Geeta said that when India a new member each. Take to social was declared ‘polio-free’ it was media and promote membership an inspiration for Africa to follow. saying ‘I have brought in a new “It has given us renewed energy member, have you?’” to eliminate polio from Pakistan Partners’ Session chair Above all, he stressed on wear- and Afghanistan so that the entire Dr Amita Kotbagi ing the Rotary pin outside Rotary world is declared polio-free.” She meetings. “You will get a chance to urged the incoming leaders to give A virtual icebreaking session had explain about Rotary to an inquisi- at least 20 per cent of their DDF to the spouses warming up as they tive total stranger and who knows, Polio Fund. shared their interests and talked he may get interested to join your TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty about their region’s specialties. club,” he added. stressed on maintaining an effec- Rashi Mehta impressed upon PDG Ravi Vadlamani recom- tive communication with the club them to participate actively in mended formation of separate com- presidents and the district team. the spouses’ programmes during mittees for increasing and retaining “Whether it is a global grant or a their leadership year. “Your members at district levels and club project do not do a service support will help the governors recognise Rotarians for introducing project just because you want to do make a lasting impact in your new members. “Start Rotary clubs in district,” she said. gated communities and members can Referring to the virtual mode, meet at their club houses. Such clubs Vinita, wife of RIDE Venkatesh will be sure hits as they also enhance said, “This has given us a new better bonding in the neighbour- skill set. It is a testimony of our RID Bharat ability to learn when it is much Pandya needed.” It is important to grow our “You are the cheer leaders. Keep encouraging your partners Annual Fund; otherwise our and don’t be shy to share ideas GGs will die a slow death. with them. Who knows, it could be a brilliant idea for Bharat Pandya your district,” said Dr Madhavi RI Director Pandya.

18 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

P_Lessons in leadership_3.indd 18 02-02-2021 17:23:19 district are an important resource in your success. Use their expertise Our potential lies in our ability and while filing for grant applications so has got nothing to do with what our that approvals become easy.” predecessors have done in the past. WinS A S Venkatesh PRID P T Prabhakar talked about RI Director-elect the genesis of the WinS programme and its achievements so far. “In the last five years we have cov- ered 34,000 schools and nearly 10 are 700 cadres from 70 countries million children have been taught including 200 medical professionals, how to thoroughly wash their hands. TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty 150 chartered accountants, 110 Now this habit would protect them agriculturists and economic from Covid,” he said and urged the it. Do a needs assessment and pro- development experts, 100 civil district leaders to implement the ceed. Seek help from your district engineers, hygiene experts and programme in as many schools as Foundation committee and technical sanitation professionals, possible. cadres,” he said. 50 educators and 40 peace RID Peter Kyle highlighted PRID Manoj Desai, chair, mediators. They help clubs and Rotary’s connection with the UN TRF’s technical cadre, shed light districts with financial management and RID Nicki Scott spoke about on the evaluation of global grants and grant planning, he said, and the need to focus on Rotary’s projects by the Foundation. There added, “Cadre members of your public image.

Doing good with TRF help

UP CM commends Rotary Team Rotary News

ttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath Ucommended RC Gorakhpur, RID 3120, for its humanitarian services during the hand-over of medical equipment to Guru Shri Gorakhnath Chikitsalaya, a charitable hospital, in the city. An x-ray machine (`54.75 lakh) and an ultrasound doppler (`40 lakh) were donated by the club through a global grant to commemorate its UP CM Yogi Adityanath (centre) with DG Karunesh Kumar Srivastava platinum jubilee this year. (second from L) and club members at the Gorakhnath hospital. The club’s relationship with the hospital dates back to 2003 when a mobile clinic was provided for PDG Anoop Agrawal, district CSR chair, said that this conducting medical camps in rural areas. The first ICU in project was accomplished with contributions from Toyo Gorakhpur was installed at this hospital, the CM said and Engineering India and The Rotary Foundation. He also noted the success of thehealthcare camps being held with the explained that two Happy Schools projects (26 schools) are help of the mobile clinic provided by the club. being implemented with global grants. Club president Arvind Vikram Chowdhary explained to “We are ready to work with the government in its Covid the CM the speciality of the machines and how it will help in vaccination drive,” said DG Karunesh Srivastava. Project providing effective treatment to needy patients. coordinator M P Kandoi felicitated the CM.

FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 20212021 ROTARYROTARY NEWSNEWS 19

P_Lessons in leadership_3.indd 19 02-02-2021 17:23:20 sewer. Thus, there is no respite from our fundraising for we need to make our goal of $50 million per year that will be matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation up to 2023,” he said.

TRF’s speedy response Enumerating the response of the Pandemics offer hope too Trustees to the havoc caused by the Covid pandemic, Ravindran said, Trustee Chair Ravindran “Our immediate reaction to the pandemic was excellent. We gave out nearly $30 million quickly, widely Rasheeda Bhagat and impactfully to enable thousands of clubs around the world to reach out to people in need.” In July and August 2020 alone, the grants authorised amounted to n a pandemic, nearly everyone spread of syphilis among sex work- $48 million; “we funded 715 grants is hit at once, which means we ers and their patrons,” he added. But I really have no one to turn to who the world always recovered quickly, does not need help himself. Hope and in 1919 a service-oriented entity fully, 2021 will see the sunset of this was formed in the form of Rotary pandemic, said TRF Trustee Chair and spread rapidly around the K R Ravindran, addressing the vir- world. tual zone institute titled The Odyssey. So today, in these depressed Throughout history, plagues times, “for those of us who and diseases have ravaged human- believe in a supreme being, know ity, but not all changes they have that he can turn a mess into a enforced are bad. History tells us that message, a test into a testimony, a Periclean Athens was so severely trial into a triumph and a victim into weakened by a plague that it lost to a victory,” said Ravindran. Sparta in the 430 BC war. But this While polio had been defeat brought Athenians a radical kicked out of Africa, democracy, “in which the world “we still have saw power evolve to the vote of the Afghanistan and ordinary citizens.” Pakistan to finish The 14th-century pandemic killed and children in at least a third of Europe’s popula- over 40 coun- tion; but it also contributed to the end tries have to be of feudalism. What we do today to immunised in a stifle the Covid virus is nothing new: routine fashion. “protective masks, quarantines, isola- Plus, Rotarians tion, and social distancing emerged need to continue in response to the Black Death pan- unabated sur- demic in the 14th century.” veillance in over Likewise, the roots for contact 70 countries to tracing go back to the Spanish flu of ensure the virus 1918 which killed about 50 million is still not lurk- people. “It was used for tracking the ing around in some

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P_Pandemics offer hope too Trustee Chair Ravindran_2.indd 20 02-02-2021 17:23:31 in these two months, as against 271 priorities and practices for the next levels of unemployment, homeless- last year. We were able to nego- era of giving. “We must take heart ness and poverty.” tiate with USAID and formulate from the reaction of the charitable This will create a dire need for a partnership where they gave us public to the pandemic. What’s the services of Rotary, which he was $5 million to provide assistance to striking was not only the scale of optimistic, “will thrive because in Italian communities impacted by capital being committed by major dozens of countries, we become the Covid-19.” philanthropists — at least $10.3 answer to the prayers of community billion globally in May 2020, but members.” Such as parents with a What next? also how it is being given at record seriously ill child who gets treatment The Trustee Chair said the challenge speed, with fewer conditions, and in at hospitals that Rotarians have built; Rotary faces in a post-Covid world greater collaboration with others.” of villagers who will escape serious is to expand and institutionalise the So this is the world of goodness renal ailments thanks to the safe learnings of last year. out there and Rotary is a microcosm drinking water Rotary projects pro- So how was the TRF leadership of that world. But the challenge vide; girls who won’t have to drop gearing up for the post-Covid world? remained in “meeting our funding out of school at puberty thanks to the goals”. In normal circumstances, separate toilets Rotarians have built It is working and succeeding TRF had set an achievable goal for in their schools; or those who will in reducing its recurring fixed this year of $410 million. The break escape death from cancer or devasta- administrative costs, “and getting up being as follows: tion from malaria and other diseases sharper and leaner, while protect- thanks to Rotary. ing and safeguarding our brand.” $50 million for Polio (matched Rotarians could give hope to It is realigning TRF services and by a $100 million from Gates) thousands of such people because “of image “to the changing pub- $135 million for the Annual their boundless imagination, fierce lic sentiment. A case in point Fund ambition and uncompromising dedi- was making environment our $85 million for the Endowment cation even in this dark and gloomy seventh area of focus because fund year. Remember the night is darkest the younger generation places $40 million for other outright just before dawn breaks, so let’s have greater emphasis on purpose, gifts. hope that this too will pass.” passion and meaning.” All this adds up to a grand total Ravindran concluded with a It is exploring alternative ways of $410 million. famous scene from the Hollywood of strengthening its World Fund; epic film Lawrence of Arabia where actively looking for external Apart from the annual chal- Peter O’ Toole, who plays the title partners as it did in USAID, lenge, TRF’s mid-term goal of role tells Omar Sharif: “Nothing is launching Programmes of having $2.025 billion in net assets written”, after he saves Qasim, the Scale “where we put in up to $2 and expectancies by 2025 remained Arab soldier who falls off the camel million and expect other partners intact. “When we reach $1 billion in in the dessert, and others want to who rely on Rotarians on the net assets, the funds available on an leave behind saying his death was ground to equally invest substan- annual basis for spending would be “written”. tially in funds and resources.” $40-50 million.” Concluded Ravindran: “All we The Foundation has also decided He added, “So far thankfully we can know is that with every action and to play a significant role in the are on track, keeping up with the reaction, there is an opportunity — a distribution of Covid-19 vac- projections.” chance to live our values, express our cines, “especially in areas which desires, and take action to improve might perpetuate insufficiency, World economy in a tailspin the quality of our lives. Nothing is inefficiency and ignorance.” But the pandemic had sent the world written… till we write it.” economy into one of the worst reces- It was up to Rotarians to take Ravindran said that since sions in recent memory. The misery all that is great about Rotary and March 2020, many donors and caused by it constrains governments TRF, “and use it to build a bet- other Foundation teams have been from spending money on social ter world — for this is our great working around the clock, reshaping services necessitated “by the high moment of opportunity.”

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P_Pandemics offer hope too Trustee Chair Ravindran_2.indd 21 02-02-2021 17:23:32 Crucial public healthcare lessons from the Covid pandemic

Rasheeda Bhagat

he Covid-19 pandemic has Another lesson pertained to the in the past including with SARS, Zika, taught scientists engaged in importance of “public health aware- Ebola, Nipah, etc. “The point is that Tpublic health many valuable ness. Practically all countries, both we are going to have future pandem- lessons, and the first one is that invest- high and low income, have been found ics and need to be prepared by giving ment in public health is crucial. “There lacking. Even countries with very importance to investing in a public is no getting away from it,” said WHO sophisticated and advanced tertiary health workforce and primary health- chief scientist Sowmya Swaminathan healthcare systems are facing huge care systems.” addressing the RI zone institute. mortality due to Covid-19 because they The latter, said Sowmya, went well But this is a tricky investment, did not have the essential public health beyond “only having a centre where because its success means the absence services needed for containment, sur- you do diagnosis, and give medicines of outbreaks of epidemics and pandem- veillance, isolation and contact tracing, and treatment. Primary healthcare has ics, and people could say this invest- quarantining and engagement with the to work on health promotion, disease ment was not needed as everything communities to ensure they are com- prevention and all this through com- is fine. But then everything remained plying and cooperating.” munity engagement.” This aspect has fine only because of preparedness and The other lesson from the pandemic been missing from primary healthcare investment in prevention. “We, human is that “as we already know, these systems across the world and “this is beings, are reactive by nature and gener- viruses jump from animals to humans. where Rotary can play an important ally go from a cycle of panic to neglect.” It is because of climate change, deforest- part... in promoting health literacy.” As happened last year due to Covid-19. ation, animal-human coming together, The final lesson she has learnt is First there was panic and now with the the farming of wild animals in many that it is important for both political vaccination beginning, people were countries, the markets where wild and other leadership “not only to be aadvocatingdvocating “business“business as anandd domesticdomestic animalsanimals are stronstrong,g, bbut also humble and com- usuausual,l, saysayinging we are sosoldld totogether.gether. AnAndd tthehe passpassionate.iona Because this virus has nnotot ggoingoing to hhaveave wwayay peoppeoplele lilive.ve. AAllll ttaughtaught uuss so many things. We need to anotanotherher pandemicpandemic tthesehese encouraencouragege tthehe be hhumbleumb and can’t assume that we iinn our lifetime.lifetime. mimixingxing ooff ananimalimal hhumanuman bbeings know and can conquer But that is notnot anandd hhumanuman vivirusrus everyteverything.hin We need to be compas- ttrue.rue. In ppan-an- and emeremergencegence sionate, because many, many people ddemics,emics, the ooff new strains suffered and continue to suffer.” qquestionuestion is notnot whwhichich cacann ththenen UnfUnfortunately,o she added, the ‘if’ but ‘when’. infect humans bbruntrunt of the suffering has been borne So as in the and become by thosethose who are already at the bot- papast,st, we should vveryery dandangerous.”gerous.” ttomom anandd struggling to survive... the nnotot go backback to a TThishis hhasas hhap-ap- iinformalnformal workers, daily wagers, who cyccyclele ofof neneglect,”glect,” ppenedened severaseverall ttimesimes were jjustus making ends meet, those sshehe said.said. wwhoho werewer just progressing a little in liflife.e. AnAndd all of that has been set back Sowmya Swaminathan now byby severals years. She had met sev- chief scientist, WHO eraerall cchildren,hild particularly girls, both iinn CChennaihenn and a village where she recently travelled, who weren’t able ttoo particparticipatei in online classes for lack ooff mobilmobile phones or internet.

K_Crucial public health care lessons from the Covid pandemic.indd 22 02-02-2021 17:08:31 Covid affected immunisation, essential health services

ecalling the long journey of by Covid. For all these reasons, surveil- WHO and RI, WHO chief sci- lance and treatment for diseases like Rentist Sowmya Swaminathan TB and malaria, anti-natal and young said that even though 2020 has been child services, non-communicable dis- a challenging year, “there is a lot to eases like diabetes and hypertension celebrate, particularly in polio.” The programmes, essential surgery, blood first was the elimination of the wild transfusion were all affected, and can- poliovirus from the African continent. cer care was badly hit too.” “This has been a long, painful, step- The polio programme also suf- by-step process, taken up country by fered; “we saw the frontline staff, who country, district by district and village work on the ground for polio surveil- by village, with a few countries really in essential health services. Topping the lance, being redeployed for Covid posing challenges. With Africa being list was routine immunisation which programmes. Their skills, experience, certified polio-free, that leaves only took a hit by 70–80 per cent in these relationship with the communities Afghanistan and Pakistan.” countries, with the low-income coun- came in very handy when overnight Another milestone this year was tries being more impacted. In essen- a new surveillance programme had to the approval of emergency use of the tial health services, 50 per cent were be set up for a new disease.” novel oral poliovirus 2 vaccine, the impacted in the poorer countries com- Elaborating, the scientist said this first vaccine to get WHO ‘emergency pared to the richer ones. means “that if you have a well-trained use’ listing. “And we are now looking India saw a 50–60 per cent reduc- and well-functioning workforce, you at all these new Covid-19 vaccines.” tion in TB notification “because diag- can actually use it for multiple pur- On the downside, Sowmya added, nostic machines were repurposed for poses.” In countries, where polio was in 2020 because of the pandemic, the use of Covid-19. “The TB control under control for many years, that the polio programme was adversely programme and almost all other health- “workforce needs to be retrained and affected, just like many other health care staff were repurposed for Covid-19. redeployed to monitor and keep an services across the world. A pulse sur- And people could not reach health eye on both communicable and non- vey done in July-August by the WHO in centres because of the lockdown, lack communicable diseases, and engage 120 countries found major disruptions of transport and fear of being infected with the community.”

“Young women have suffered too; pandemic; we need to give a helping create immunity. But this is going to there has been an increase in domestic hand to these kids so that they can come take time. It will not happen overnight violence and trafficking of women and up. We may say everything is digital and not in the first half of 2021. But it girls dropping out from schools. At and we live in an online world, but there will start happening in the second half one point 1.6 billion children were out is a digital exclusion as well. So the of 2021, so we still need to be very of school. Currently it is still several engineers and technocrats should think careful and follow all the stipulated hundred million children who are not of ways to bridge that digital divide.” public health measures. We will see only missing out on educational oppor- Sowmya added that “on the human light at the end of the tunnel but we still tunities, but also on midday meals.” side, there needs to be compassion, we need to walk through it. We need to need to look out for each other, espe- walk together, supporting each other.” Challenges ahead cially the less fortunate, as it is going She added: “Rotary is a great For Rotary, there were many challenges to take a couple of years for them to force, you have credibility, passion, ahead; of course, the last mile on ending get back to normal.” the wherewithal and grassroots reach polio has to be traversed but there were Ending on a “bright and optimistic into the community. You have dealt also other challenges like tuberculosis, note” because the vaccines are coming, with and almost got rid of one of the which Rotarians are already tackling. she added: “I believe there will be sev- biggest scourges of mankind. Let’s “We all will also have to help with the eral vaccines that are safe and effective continue to work together and think education of young girls and boys who for Covid-19 so that a good chunk of of innovative solutions to the common are facing difficulties because of the the population can be vaccinated to problems that we face.”

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K_Crucial public health care lessons from the Covid pandemic.indd 23 02-02-2021 17:08:31 Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly Jennifer Jones

Rasheeda Bhagat

he future of Rotary is Jennifer Jones said, while addressing and 10 DGNs and 35 past governors what you have created two different meetings on virtual plat- participated. here… the kind of tech- forms, created by the Rotary Club of To commemorate her virtual nological leap Rotar- Madras, RID 3232, and the Synergy visit, RCM donated two dialysis ians across the world Rotary Friendship Alliance. The latter machines to the ACS- RCM Dial- Thave made in the last 10 months. To has been created and fostered by PDG ysis Centre that the club has set up be able to assemble a group like this Sunil Zacharia, RID 3201, with mem- at a hospital near Chennai. “This and be together in a such a fantastic bership across 11 Asian countries. increases the number of dialysis shared experience is the future. All of She said it was wonderful to see machines available for patients with you were able to jump onto this kind such a huge participation at both the renal failure to seven,” said club of virtual platform so quickly and events; while at the RCM meet, president Kapil Chitale. make it a global community,” RIPN 525 participants from 25 He added that club members had countries logged in, at also planted 117 more fruit-bearing the Synergy meet 390 trees on its 35-acre plot that houses participated from the RCM Boys Town Society, a flag- all over the world, ship project of the club. The number including three of trees mark the 117th year of Rotary past RI directors, starting in July, 2022, when she will six district gov- assume the office of RI president. ernors, 14 DGEs,

Jones said that Rotary’s international passport has never been so relevant as now. To be able to connect so easily and remove borders and boundaries is something that Rotary has done for decades and decades. “But to put that global stamp on our passport as we are able to traverse the world through these virtual meets is wonderful.” While during the Covid pandemic, she had been on so many such virtual meets, and made new friends across the

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K_Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly_Jennifer Jones.indd 24 02-02-2021 17:09:40 Get ready for vaccination advocacy

e’ve been through We stood up and said polio could be countries, which was ready to many dark days in the eradicated. And we now need to use tackle both polio and PolioPlus, Wlast several months our voices for those who have vaccine the ‘plus’ in that would now be and there isn’t a man, woman or hesitancy and let them know this is Covid, apart from malaria, tuber- child who hasn’t been touched a safe procedure which will prevent culosis, etc. by this global pandemic. But in them from getting infected.” Jones added Rotarians were a unique way, this pandemic has Jones wondered if, as a Rotary distressed to know that from galvanised us, and proving that we leader had once told Rotarians in her March 2020, when the world went are people of action, we quickly region, “we had told Rotarians 30 into a lockdown, we’ve had to realised the need to remain united, years ago that we need you to immu- take a pause in polio vaccination. connected and together in shared nise three billion children against the “But just imagine, those frontline service. You’ve all jumped onto polio virus and raise more than $2.1 workers were able to pivot and go virtual platforms and perfected billion and it will take us over 30 from being polio to Covid frontline them, as you’ve done today to years to eradicate this disease, would workers. While they had to pause bring along so many participants we have done it?” The likely answer on polio vaccination, they didn’t from several countries.” is a ‘No’ because it would have been pause on doing surveillance and The new year had begun with seen as an impossible task. contact tracing, to identify where hope, and “one-by-one we are But thanks to polio immunisa- Covid exists, so we could shut going to get vaccinated. And we tion, Rotary now has a public health it down. This infrastructure also are going to speak about it to our infrastructure, formed along with its helped to shut down Ebola and neighbours and friends because partners such as the UNICEF, WHO, we should be so proud of their we are the vaccination people. the Gates Foundation, etc in over 70 efforts.”

world, “which is incredible, but man, involved with group meetings, not the horizon hope, dangling in front I am looking forward to the day we feeling left behind, felt cared for, of us as vaccines are here.” can all meet in person. But to have nurtured. “When we connect, even That these Covid-19 vaccines made so many new friends, isn’t that though we might be locked down, had been manufactured and in the incredible? It shows that Rotary’s people get the assurance that they hands of people in less than a year future is incredibly bright. Thank are traversing through these chal- was “magical. Till those vaccines you for the leadership you have lenging times together. We see on open up to us, we cannot really travel shown. When we come out of this, the way we used to. The video you and we will, this will remain because showed of Kerala makes me itch to of the kind of synergy you are going travel, it is on my bucket list, and to establish in the weeks and months has been for some time,” she told ahead, before the ‘normal’ returns,” The onus is on each of us to the Synergy meet. She also hopes she told the Synergy meet. check on our club members on to make it in person for the Zone On Rotary’s future, she said that institute to be organised by RIDE how they are doing with their each of the Rotarians who had made A S Venkatesh in December 2021 at it “a priority to stay engaged and mental health. There are so many Mahabalipuram in Chennai. connected like this “is the future of stories of people struggling... But right now, the onus was on Rotary”. But a challenge before all each and every Rotarian to think of Rotarians was to look around their losing money, jobs, etc. their fellow members at the club clubs and ensure that others too were levels, as this is an important ethos having similar experiences, and were of Rotary — after inviting a person

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 25

K_Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly_Jennifer Jones.indd 25 02-02-2021 17:09:40 Promoting youth and women’s membership

t both the RC Madras and Synergy Alliance meets, ARIPN Jennifer Jones was asked about promoting younger and women

members in Rotary and how she had Rasheeda Bhagat managed to break through the “glass ceiling” and reach the topmost position in RI. Jones said that for “the better part of the decade we at Rotary have been trying to attract women and younger people under 40. This has been a priority, but quite candidly, the needle has moved in a negligible fashion in those two categories. Women and younger people who are looking for a leadership experience have to see that opportunity in Rotary.” She hoped that with the focus now being on “diversity at the highest level of our organisation, and with a woman RIPN Jennifer Jones (R) with PDG Shyamashree Sen (file photo). president, this will hopefully inspire many female and younger members prescribed age group is not the way from a “business perspective. If in our to join Rotary. I do hope this will forward.” All of us, she added had company we were looking at a mar- challenge and be an inspiration to surely met a 25-year-old who thought ket share that was underperforming, women to take on leadership posi- like an older person, as well as an what would we do?” tions, beginning at the club and then 85-year-old whose thinking and per- For instance, female membership district levels. Showcasing the best spective were akin to a young person. in Rotary was only 24 per cent women, practices of inclusion will foster “What we need is progressive think- though it was higher in some areas — growth.” ing to take us forward.” in North America it was about 35 She said that even though Rotary On bridging the gender gap, Jones per cent and in the Caribbean region needed “young thinkers, having a advised Rotarians to take up this issue between 48–52 per cent. “We would

into Rotary, “ask them what they and our vision statement tell us that She advised Rotarians to check want out of that experience and then we join together with people to cre- in on their club members to “to see deliver it.” ate lasting change.” how they are doing with their mental Jones said often more attention But most important of all is health. There are so many stories of was given to people who join and the change that Rotary gives as people struggling, whether it is los- leave Rotary, than “focusing on an opportunity to its members to ing money, jobs, or food and other those who stay behind and what their bring within themselves. “Isn’t the issues.” It was imperative to check expectations are. The answer is quite opportunity to improve our leader- that other Rotarians were not grap- easy; research tells us that they join ship capabilities and attain personal pling with isolation or mental health for friendship and service. We all growth, a gift we can offer others, issues, “so that people understand want to get our hands into something to join us in friendship and service,” that even in the darkest hours there that makes a difference in our world, she asked. is hope.”

26 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly_Jennifer Jones.indd 26 02-02-2021 17:09:42 tweak our business plan. Similarly, that “the same people are not let’s take the opportunity to bring a doing the tasks again and again; gender balance in Rotary.” tap new leadership opportuni- RI Director Valerie Wafer chairing ties, give them these roles, along I was pleased, humbled ad RI’s new diversity, equity and inclu- with the wings to fly. “We have to excited by the opportunity to sion taskforce said, “we need these look for the best and the brightest, be nominated RI president. But challenging conversations in our own fresh ideas, and give opportunities clubs.” to the new leadership to blossom I was not selected because of But she cautioned Rotarians that and grow. The seniors and veter- my gender but because of my they would need to focus at “the best ans should do that.” and brightest in both men and women. As for reaching the top RI posi- TXDOL¿FDWLRQV At RI, over a year ago we embraced tion, Jones said: “I did it just like and adopted a new diversity, equity my male colleagues have done; and inclusion statement, and this is we have all filled different posi- happening in governments, NGOs tions in leadership roles from the and companies around the world as club president to the DG level, and ensure that we are a true reflection well. So let us take a close look at how then serving on the RI board, one of what our community represents. In do we create a diverse perspective of the requirements for becoming some parts of the world that dialogue in our clubs. That will help us solve an RI president. And I was also for- might be of age, in other parts, of gen- some of the world’s most pressing tunate to be able to serve as a TRF der and culture.” challenges. It’s because we are able Trustee and in different leadership But even though this dialogue to look at things from a different per- positions participate in conversa- will differ in different regions, the spective, and bring together a mosaic tions with world leaders.” end result will be the same, “making of people from different regions, cul- Adding that there was an sure that we are a true reflection of tures, age groups and backgrounds, “opportunity for all of us, both our communities. It is the diverse and we’re able to solve some of the prob- men and women, to increase our unique perspective each of us brings to lems of the world.” leadership role in Rotary”, she our club that helps us tackle and solve On women Rotarians overcoming said: “I was pleased, humbled ad some of the most difficult problems the glass ceiling and getting mentor- excited by the opportunity to be that our community or country faces. ship for leadership positions is “some- nominated RI president, and this Because we come at it from different thing we need to be more mindful of is a positive move forward for angles, we are able to challenge each when it comes to nurturing our mem- Rotary too. But I firmly believe other and give our very best. If we all bers, both male and female and giving I was not selected because of looked at the problems through the them leadership opportunities.” One my gender but because of my same lens, we would not be so bril- way to achieve this was by ensuring qualifications.” liant, shine so brightly and provide hope,” she said.

comfort zones and go into technological innovations and newer platforms.” In a Q&A session moderated by Answering another question, she The RIPN congratulated RC PDG Shyamashree Sen, RID 3291, said “diversity, equity and inclusion” Madras members for “playing such a Jones said that in the coming times, will continue to get much more focus crucial role in throwing out polio from e-clubs will have a bigger role, “they in Rotary. In her year, she would give India. Commending the club members will thrive, survive and grow. Assem- this a priority “in a voice of authority. “for the wonderful service projects that bly of people from different parts of a We will be viewing all three through you do”, she added she was greatly country and even different nations will different lens of gender, age, race, reli- touched by the two projects they had only grow. Actually, the pandemic has gion, culture and sexual orientation. launched in her honour and said she moved us ahead by 5–10 years as we I will be challenging Rotarians to have would use the first opportunity to visit have been forced to come out of our some of these difficult conversations both in person.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 27

K_Our diversity allows us to be so brilliant & shine brightly_Jennifer Jones.indd 27 02-02-2021 17:09:42 Planning a Virtual V Muthukumaran

P_Picture pages_Institute Moments_3.indd 28 02-02-2021 17:23:46 Institute

Clockwise from top left: From L: RID Kamal Sanghvi, Sonal, Mohak (Rtn Gagan Dudhani’s son), PDG Sandeep Narang, Shristi (PDG Sanjay Khemka’s daughter), Raavishu (RID Kamal Sanghvi’s son), Anu Narang, PDG Sanjay Khemka and Minakshi; Institute convener Kamal Sanghvi and Sonal; Institute chair Sanjay Khemka’s son Shubham and daughter Shristi, alongwith his office staff Snehlata and Kajal, managing the helpline centre; A nostalgic recall of the Institute originally planned at Kochi and promoted at Indore in December 2019: RIPE Shekhar Mehta, Rashi; RID Kamal Sanghvi, Sonal; and Madhavi Pandya with wives of IPDGs at the Indore Institute.

P_Picture pages_Institute Moments_3.indd 29 02-02-2021 17:23:51 A dance performance at the institute.

Above: Institute convener Kamal Sanghvi and chair Sanjay Khemka. Below: (From L) Anu, PDG Sandeep Narang, Sonal, RID Kamal Sanghvi, Minakshi and PDG Sanjay Khemka.

P_Picture pages_Institute Moments_3.indd 30 02-02-2021 17:24:07 known for handwoven as Mamallapuram, the silk sarees and Kamakshi ancient town that lies Temple. RI President along the Coromandal Shekhar Mehta (2021–22) coast, off the Bay of will be there as chief Bengal, 37 miles south of Next Institute at guest. Chennai, is a UNESCO Mahabalipuram had heritage site. served as the venue for The Rathas, the Mahabalipuram the high-level summit mandapas, the Descent of between PM Narendra the Ganges and the Lord Modi and Chinese Krishna’s butterball are a Chennai President Xi Jinping in group of royal monuments December 2019. that show the architectural V Muthukumaran genius of artisans here. What’s special about Other highlights include Mahabs? the Shore Temple, the ook forward to historic town that boasts A curtain raiser only surviving edifice the next Rotary of several heritage sites was screened on of the legendary seven Lzone institute and lovely beaches.” Mahabalipuram which pagodas built by the three at Mahabalipuram, a It is also close to other was founded by the generations of Pallava heritage town replete with places of interest such as Pallava ruler Narasimha rulers as it took “over Pallava architecture near Pondicherry, famous for Varman during the 3–7th 200 years to complete the Chennai, on Dec 10–12. its Aurobindo Ashram century, and named after entire site.” “Mahabs Rotary Institute and Kancheepuram, an the benevolent King Every year classical will be a stellar exam- ancient pilgrim town, Mahabali. Also known dance and drama festi- ple of both purpose and vals are held to preserve pleasure as Rotarians can and celebrate the ancient listen to eminent speakers culture of the Pallava in engaging sessions and dynasty, a visual treat also indulge in dance, for the eyes. The Mahabs music, fun, laughter Rotary Institute will be and gala merriment in held at the Four Points by the backdrop of exotic Sheraton and the adjunct beaches, enjoy thought- seminars will be con- ful fusion and authentic ducted at the Radisson delicacies at a luxurious Blu Resort Temple Bay. seaside hotel,” said PDG RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi M Muruganandam, RID is the co-convener of 3000, event chair, at the the Mahabs 2021, PRID virtual Rotary institute. C Basker and PDG In his address, RIDE Abirami Ramanathan A S Venkatesh, convener, are the advisors, PDGs Mahabs institute, said the Surendra Bommireddy delegates would have an is the co-chair, Madhav opportunity to network Chandran the secretary with Rotary leaders and C R Raju will be the from the zones, attend treasurer. interesting sessions and watch some awesome For more details, visit www. entertainment at “this RIDE A S Venkatesh riinstitutemahabs21.org.

FEBRUARYFEBFEEBBRUARU RYY 202120220021 ROTARYROTARY NEWSNEEWSW 31

P_Next Institute_Gender equity for women.indd 31 02-02-2021 17:23:29 Birla deﬁnes “new paradigm of corporate citizenship”

Rasheeda Bhagat

he very definition of the institute The Odyssey, convened by Walmart, “their joint statement effec- conventional role of corpo- RI director Kamal Sanghvi. tively underlines that the paradigm rates and social responsi- It was Nobel Laureate Milton of business is moving from merely Tbility of business as merely Friedman who “famously and rather shareholder capitalism to stakeholder pursuing legitimate profit and shoring pithily said that the social responsibil- capitalism. That a corporation should up shareholder value is undergoing ity of business is to increase its prof- not just maximise shareholder value a definitive change, said chairman its. Ironically, the 50th anniversary of but also the wellbeing of employees of the Aditya Birla group Kumar that famous statement came bang in and the community at large. The Mangalam Birla, while addressing the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. words of Friedman, once treated as the inaugural session of the RI zone That statement had weight and logic gospel, are now being questioned.” which explains its longevity but that The new maxim of corporate respon- view is now changing,” he said. sibility goes beyond shareholder NoNo llessess an ororganisationganisation tthanhan vvalue,alue, anandd hhasas a bbroaderroader umumbrellabrella ooff thethe BusBusinessiness RounRoundtable,dtable, an bbenefitsenefits to aallll stastakeholders.keholders. apexapex association of CEOs of America’s top companies had issued a statement in 2019,2019, redefining the purpose of a corporation. Signed by 200 Birlairla added: “And I’d sasayy that top CEOs, including those wwhilehile doing so, it must also earn the of JP Morgan, Amazon, iimplicitmplicit license to ooperateperate in societsocietyy aatt llarge.”arge.” TThishis iiss not tthehe “conven“conven-- ttionalional lilicensecense tthathat operateoperatedd dduringuring tthehe permpermitit rajraj iinn InIndiadia anandd wwhichhich Kumar Mangalam Birla chairman, Aditya Birla group wwasas didismantledsmantled 30 years aago.go. TThishis iiss wwhathat I cacallll tthehe new paraparadigmdigm fforor corporate ccitizenship.itizenship. It iiss bbeyondeyond jjustust oobeyingbeying llawsaws anandd reregulations,gulations, wwhichhich nnowow increasinincreasinglygly apply to the welfare of employees and safeguarding of the environment. Good corporatecorporate citizenship goes way beyond such legal compliance and is all abouaboutt mmoraloral anandd etethicalhical bbehaviour.ehaviour. Peter DDrucker,rucker, the father of manamanagement,gement, sasaidid a successsuccessfulful bbusinessusiness stanstandsds on tthehe ffoundationoundation ooff moramorality,lity, iitt iiss not

K_Birla defines new paradigm of corporate citizenship_1.indd 32 02-02-2021 17:08:24 Rotary commended for its “stellar role” in fighting pandemic

ommenting on the Covid enforcement, and the spontaneous to give back to society. “True to pandemic Aditya Birla and generous support from the cit- our legacy, the Aditya Birla group Cgroup chairman Kumar izens to the governments in their curated a multipronged approach Manglam Birla said we have efforts to contain the pandemic.” to help local communities fight started the new year on a note While scientists, pharmaceuticals Covid-19. Apart from the Rs 500 of hope “not only because of the and others had collaborated to come crore financial contribution to speedy development and deploy- out with vaccines in a record time, Covid relief measures, our group ment of the vaccine but also to private enterprises and Rotarians too distributed several hundred masks, have endured, survived and over- played such an “integral and stellar PPE kits, disinfectants and food come the challenge of a great role in containing the pandemic and packets to the needy. We also pandemic with such resilience, this is not the first time that Rotarians earmarked hundreds of beds for fortitude and determination such have played such an important role in Covid-19 patients in our hospitals as shown by our Covid warriors — a public health crisis. I am told that across the country.” our frontline health workers, even during the Spanish flu of 1918, Saying that every unit in every which is commendable.” Rotarians were at the forefront of corner of the world of his group He said the year-long response community service. Few institutions had “so selflessly come to the aid to the pandemic across the globe in the world can claim to have served of the local community,” he added: reflected “all that is noble and humanity through the course of two “Personally, I was energised to see uplifting in the human spirit. We pandemics, spanning more than a so many people in the corporate witnessed the fearless and selfless century like you have done.” landscape, large and small, readily dedication of frontline health- Birla said that even for business and spontaneously joining in col- care workers, the commitment corporations, a crisis of this magni- lective effort to alleviate the pain and patience of people in law tude serves as a reminder of the need caused by this pandemic.”

an inanimate thing but is also expected mandates that 2 per cent of after-tax to be humane, have empathy and be a profit should be compulsorily spent caring friend of society.” on CSR.” The industrialist added that in “this The paradigm of But then, Birla said, corporations new paradigm, the license to operate business is moving “like ours have been engaged in what has to be earned, through respect, credi- is now called CSR for more than a cen- from mere shareholder bility and acceptability.” It is based on tury. My great grandfather, G D Birla, genuineness and “willingness to match capitalism to was a believer in Mahatma Gandhi’s word and deed, abide by principles stakeholder capitalism. view of corporations being trustees of and ethics, no matter what. Such social social wealth. That spirit has always acceptance has to be earned and no Good corporate manifested in our community engage- government or licensing authority can citizenship goes way ment. It is humbling to know that our grant it.” corporation has touched the lives of beyond legal compliance Actually, he added, this Business over nine million people through our Roundtable statement was preceded and is all about moral CSR exercises, so ably led my mother by India’s landmark 2013 CSR law, and ethical behaviour. Rajashree Birla.” “which looks in hindsight remarka- Good corporate social citizenship bly enlightened, and India is perhaps goes well beyond lip service and is the only country in the world which not just a tick mark of compliances,

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 33

K_Birla defines new paradigm of corporate citizenship_1.indd 33 02-02-2021 17:08:24 Even during the Spanish flu of 1918, Rotarians were at the forefront of community service. Few institutions can claim to have served humanity through the course of two pandemics, spanning over a century.

motherhood statements or greenwash- ing as some critics have called it. Maintaining that good corporate citizenship reflects the internal character of an organisation, “following a code of ethics and values which are its very foundation, and are sustainable forestry. I am sure such migrant workers were experienc- articulated frequently and visible in behaviour will soon reach a tipping ing hardship, a call for help within the day-to-day operations and lived point,” he added. the Aditya Birla group “elicited an on a daily basis,” Birla gave a telling Birla also underlined the impor- overwhelming response with over example. In the early days of the tance of “the culture of volunteering” 26,000 employees of the group Covid pandemic, when panic buying in a business organisation. When helping workers recharge their mobile was being witnesses all around the employees volunteer their time for connections. A corporation can world, “a UK retailer opened its community service or mentoring encourage, recognise and reward such store one hour earlier every morning youth, they enhance the stature of initiatives.” Research has shown that exclusively for senior citizens to buy their employer. He shared that during employees feel good and energised to their provisions. This simple gesture the height of the pandemic, when work for such corporations and even exemplified the empathy and integral consumers are willing to value and values that all good corporate citizens pay a little extra for products made by must have.” companies who follow such desirable practices. “So there is clearly a tangi- During the height of the ble benefit.” pandemic a call from Quoting the four principles our group elicited an from Rotary’s Four-Way Test, Birla Responsible corporations commented: “I find these to be simple should not only evangelise but get overwhelming response with but powerful thumb rules to guide the others to join the bandwagon by over 26,000 employees helping decisions of corporations.” He added example, so that good corporate that what he was advocating was not workers recharge their mobile citizenship becomes a movement led “antithetical to creating value and by the private sector and not forced connections. A corporation wealth. The leap from goodness to by the government or regulations. For can encourage, recognise and greatness for a corporation is not only example, “our fibre business insists the matric of sales and profit. There is reward such initiatives. on sourcing wood pulp as raw mate- an intangible element in good corpo- rial only from suppliers who practise rate citizenship.”

34 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Birla defines new paradigm of corporate citizenship_1.indd 34 02-02-2021 17:08:25 We need Project Positive Health for 20 years Bharat Pandya V Muthukumaran

ver the last one-and- put, the tagline urges you half years, Rotary to take one spoon less of Oclubs have done salt, oil and sugar in your remarkable work in hold- daily diet and do at least 30 ing Know Your Numbers minutes of exercise daily to camps across the country. ward off NCDs. “Adopt this “Please continue the camps slogan in your life and also which can be held even in make your friends, families pandemic times as we are and business associates to checking around 150–200 adopt and implement it in patients in a camp, hence their lives.” Covid precautions and social Through awareness distancing can be observed programmes in schools without difficulty,” said RI of chronic kidney diseases problem we are leaving for Rotary is trying to change director Dr Bharat Pandya, is the highest in India which future generations.” Dwell- the mindset of children on in a session on Project Posi- is also the diabetic capital ing on the causes of NCDs, the importance of good tive Health (PPH) at the vir- of the world.” During the he said improper lifestyle habits, healthy food and tual Rotary institute. pandemic, the death rate of with too much stress; no the need to exercise. “They Every person must people with comorbidities physical activity like exer- will go back and change the know his or her numbers — is much higher than that of cise; and bad food and bad mindset of their parents, height, weight (both give the general population, he habits are three main reasons elders and relatives.” BMI that indicate obesity), added. for the huge spike in patients blood pressure (that points One of the positives with chronic diseases. Preventive healthcare to hypertension and heart of the pandemic is the Indian food is rich in As a surgeon, he added, problems) and blood sugar focus it has brought on the cholesterol, calories, salt, “I am always committed for diabetes. “Obesity, importance of good health oil and sugar. Bad habits to curative healthcare, but hypertension and diabetes and secondly, people with like tobacco and alcohol I realise that the future of together account for the comorbidities, those with consumption are on the healthcare lies in preven- big NCDs, causing 60 per NCDs, are affected more rise. “People are not aware tive care,” Pandya said. cent of deaths in India as severely, some of them get- of the importance of regular PPH is not just a 2–3 years Indians are culturally and ting admitted in hospitals check-up and need for life- programme, but it should genetically predisposed to and ICUs, he noted. style modifications,” Pandya be carried on for at least these chronic, lifestyle dis- added. 15–20 years and beyond. eases,” he said. Ready-to-explode volcano Rotary PPH has a three- Citing a popular Hindi say- He warned that in India The NCDs is a volcano wait- pronged approach to tackle ing for good health, he said, the NCDs occur 15–20 ing to explode, he said and NCDs in India — holding “keep your tummy soft (diet years earlier than in west- after a pause, added “let me Know Your Numbers camps control), feet warm (regular ern countries. For eg, what correct myself. It has already and popularising the slo- exercise), and mind cool. If usually occurs at the age of started exploding and if we gan Ek chamach kam, char you do the three things, you 60–75 in the west, occurs at don’t do something about kadam aage through Rotary can overcome and defeat 45–50 in India. “The burden it quickly, then it is a big camps and events. Simply NCD illnesses,” he added.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 35

We need Project Positive Health for 20 years Bharat Pandya - Feb 2021.indd 35 1/28/2021 1:27:52 PM Teaching is all about giving

Jaishree

anjit Sinh Disale, a my nine fellow finalists. It can help them with QR codes to give students teacher at the Zilla scale up their work too. Teaching is access to poems, video lectures and Parishad Primary School all about giving, sharing our knowl- assignments.” His idea was adopted Rin Paritewadi village, edge and making people competent,” by the NCERT in Maharashtra. Solapur, Maharashtra, won $1 million he said, speaking at the virtual Rotary “Children unable to visit schools can as Global Teacher Prize 2020 for pro- institute at the RILM session. still learn their lessons from home moting girls’ education and introduc- In 2009 when Disale arrived at at their own pace.” He proudly says ing a QR-coded textbook revolution his school, which was a dilapidated that 90 per cent students in his school in the country. The annual award is building sandwiched between a cattle have achieved excellent grades. instituted by the Varkey Foundation, shed and a storehouse, his immedi- Without leaving their classrooms UK, to honour exceptional teachers ate task was to ensure that textbooks his students have travelled to 140 for outstanding contribution to the were available to his pupils in their countries ‘virtually’. “They know profession. “I have announced that I local language. “I translated the text- the culture and language of the peo- will share half of the prize money with books in Marathi and also embedded ple there. It has helped to broaden

Global Teacher Prize winner Ranjit Sinh Disale teaching a child.

K_Teaching is all about giving.indd 36 02-02-2021 17:42:52 After interacting virtually with Japanese children, my students understand how to respond to earthquakes, because it is a common phenomenon in Japan.

their vision. I encourage them to call themselves ‘global citizens.’ After interacting with Japanese children, my students understand how to respond to earthquakes because it is a common phenomenon in Japan,” he RILM co-chair RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi said, adding that he plans to allocate 20 per cent of his prize money for his 80,000 teachers in western India in RILM is involving school students ‘Let’s cross the borders’ project that simple, smart online teaching meth- to mentor adult illiterates in its adult aims to build peace among students ods and it is being scaled up to benefit literacy programme. “At least 80,000 and young people from conflict-torn teachers nationwide.” The e-shiksha adults are functionally literate, thanks countries such as Pakistan, Palestine, project has helped install audio-visual to this initiative,” he said. Programmes Israel, Iran, Iraq and North Korea. curriculum in 30,000 schools. The such as Swabhimaan, Project Dignity He also wants to allocate another 30 content is approved by the government and Saksham Bharat are making a per cent of the prize money to the and is being telecast nationwide and great impact in enhancing livelihood ‘Teachers’ innovation fund’ that he in its educational app, Diksha. “It is of women and youngsters through plans to set up. expected to help around 15 crore chil- various skill development programmes The impact of Disale’s interven- dren across India this year.” by involving Rotary clubs. More than tions is that there are now no teen- 1,000 single women have found suita- age marriages in the village and the ble vocations through Project Dignity. school has 100 per cent attendance Through Project Saksham Bharat of girls. RILM encourages Rotary clubs to Thanks to Disale’s enroll youth in any of the branches of Rotary India Literacy Mission interventions, there are Apollo Medskills in their region. The RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi, co-chair of course fee that has been subsidised at now no teenage marriages RILM, said that about 300 Rotary `4,400 per student will be sponsored clubs with a participation of one lakh in the village and the by the clubs. Placements are assured Rotarians from across the country have school has 100 per cent for the trainees on completion of been working on RILM’s TEACH pro- the course. attendance of girls. grammes since its inception in 2014. Around 3,000 Happy Schools and With the onset of Covid, after which 3,500 libraries have been facilitated schools had to be shut down, “Rotari- through RILM across the country, ans such as Swati Herkal have trained added Kotbagi.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 37

K_Teaching is all about giving.indd 37 02-02-2021 17:42:53 Rotary must offer flexible options to Rotaractors Kiran Zehra

ne of the critical goals of experience.” Making Rotaract a part across the world can continue being Rotary clubs is to listen and of Rotary will “allow a wider demog- Rotaractors while embarking on their Orecognise what Rotaractors raphy of people to take on leadership Rotary journey,” he said. want and give them an opportunity roles to better represent their commu- Nishita Pednekar, past DRR, RID to shape their experience by being nities and bring unique perspectives 3170, said the removal of the upper more flexible, said RID Valarie to the table, so that Rotary can truly age limit wouldn’t deter young indi- Wafer from Canada, anchoring a ses- change the world,” said Samantha. viduals from joining Rotaract. “We sion for Rotaractors that saw partici- join this organisation with the aim of pants from Europe, Africa, Australia, Age relaxation self-development by serving the com- Brazil, Japan and South Asia. She On the upper age limit for Rotarac- munity,” she said. was addressing a session at the zone tors being removed, Ojas Joshi, DRR, Patricia Kuhn, member, RI Rota- institute. RID 3141, said this has enabled the ract Committee and special adviser to Rotarians must continue their dia- Rotaract clubs to decide on their pro- Trustees from Brazil, said TRF Trus- logue with Rotaractors and reach out jects, the impact they wish to create, tees are encouraging Rotary clubs to to them for ideas and suggestions, she and also the people that they want work with Rotaract clubs on global said. Samantha Fewster, chair, Rotaract to engage with. “Many Rotaractors grants. TRF has made it possible for Australia Multi-District Information “Rotaractors to use global grants in Organisation (MDIO), said “Rotaractotaract RID Valarie Wafer their projects. We first have to learn offers an incredible opportunitynity for how to use this resource, and who young people to learn and groww withwith can teach us better than the Rotarians other people in a supportive environ-nviron- themselves. Besides, this is also a way ment at a similar stage in their life.ife. We to get closer to Rotarians.” learn leadership and business skills,lls, and On being the first Rotaractor from other useful skills through our sserviceervice Brazil to be selected as special adviser to the community.” She asked Rotarac-otarac- to TRF trustees, Patricia said, “I have tors to apply these skills in theirir daildailyy learned a lot from the trustees. They lives, workplace and local communi-mmuni- show us that when different genera- ties. The new skills will help themthem if tions work together, our knowledge they want to take leadership rolesoles in and ideas come together to build an Rotary in the near future, she said.aid. even more solid future.” The decision to elevate Rotaractaract Rotary’s partnership with Toast- on par with Rotary, she said, willill masters is an “exciting alliance,” make “years of service in Rotaractct said Karthik Kittu, past DRR, RID count when Rotaractors choosese 3190, and founder president, Rota- to join a Rotary club. This meansns ract South Asia Multi-District that young people will be able too Information Organisation (RSA take positions that were deniedd MDIO). “This partnership will to them previously for want off help Rotarians and Rotaractors

38 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Rotary must offer flexible options to Rotaractors - Feb 2021.indd 38 1/28/2021 1:40:05 PM as ambassadors who will encourage Rotaractors to join their clubs. Kazuho Sano, Rotaract vice-secretary, RID 2840, Japan, said that he is looking forward to play an active part in Rotary and is hopeful the newly-introduced Rotaract dues will not affect membership. “Students or working members on an average spend $300 for coffee annually. All we have to do is convert our coffee dollars as dues,” he quipped. grow personally and professionally. It Yatin Sehgal, president, RSA Doris Grimm, chair, RI Rotaract will also help us strengthen the skills of MDIO, said the recent RI amendment Committee, said that it was bene- Rotaractors and help them make a better that Rotaract clubs can be chartered ficial to have direct representatives impact in their communities,” he said. with or without sponsoring Rotary as advisors to both the RI board and Ronald Kawaddwa, chair, RI Rota- clubs is a revolutionary decision. TRF. “By having advisors to these ract and Interact Committee, Uganda, Talking about numbers, he said, “Over two boards, we show that we are not answering a question on whether dual the past six months, we have seen an only talking but actually acting upon membership for Rotaractors will be ben- increase of 1.65 per cent in the growth Elevate Rotaract ,” she added. Calling eficial to Rotary, said, “Yes, it does in of Rotaract clubs as compared to the the youth of today “a vehicle of social two ways. One, you are an equal mem- last three years. In Southeast Asia, change,” Akansha Sanghvi, charter ber of both Rotary and Rotaract. Two, the response is amazing because we president, RAC Mumbai Zenith, said young Rotarians can be good mentors already have around 261 Rotaract to promote fellowship through service to Rotaractors who join Rotary clubs.” clubs coming up.” “people must join hands and come Rotary clubs, he said, should embrace From RI President Holger together for a cause that can create younger members because they serve Knaack’s home district in Germany, everlasting change.” Malegaon Rotary club organises a medical camp Team Rotary News C Malegaon, RID R 3142, organised a medical camp at Tatani, a remote village in Baglan district, Maharashtra. Over 800 villagers including women and children benefitted from it. Over 20 doctors attended to patients with issues pertaining to blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and infections of skin, eyes, and ears. Eleven Patients at the Rotary Eye Hospital after cataract surgery. patients with cataract were surgically treated at and food for the patients masks and sanitisers and of masks and sanitisers and the Malegaon Rotary Eye and their caretakers. the doctors advocated them maintaining social distance Hospital for surgery. The The visitors to the to follow all the protocols to protect themselves from club had arranged transport camp were given face such as handwashing, use Covid.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 39

Rotary must offer flexible options to Rotaractors - Feb 2021.indd 39 1/28/2021 1:40:05 PM Need to mount a campaign against climate change

V Muthukumaran

he need to save the environ- absolutely unbearable, for 0.0001 per talking of 50 per cent GHG emissions ment and our planet so that cent of people control more wealth from non-sustainable food supply Tfuture generations can live than half of humanity. We forget system,” she explained. safe, secure and happy with plenty that pandemic roots are in ecological of trees and biodiversity, was the destruction and over 300 epidemics Chipko movement single-point agenda of the two insight- have come as our greed invaded the In the early 1970s, the Chipko activ- ful sessions at the virtual Rotary insti- forests in the name of feeding the ists hugged the trees on the foothills of tute. Ecology warrior Vandana Shiva world. the Himalayas to protect its rivers and and nine-year-old Licypriya Kangujam mountains. At the Navadanya Farm, from Manipur, discussed issues such Corporates vs well-being a biodiversity hub, in Tehri Garhwal as climate change, pollution, epidem- Vandana observed that only 10 per cent over 2,000 crop species, 750 rice and ics and eco-friendly organic farming to of genetically-modified soyabeans 250 wheat varieties are grown through ensure sustained prosperity for human grown in the Amazon forests by burn- organic farming. “Food is the currency beings in an ecosystem that respects ing the lungs and livers of the earth of life; our health begins with food. A the wellness of all living beings includ- are used for human consumption, the non-sustainable, unjust food system is ing plants. rest go to animals and biofeed. “We are behind all emergencies we face, includ- This pandemic is considered a destroying the very fabric of the earth ing climate change, existential chal- health emergency, “but we fail to for a handful of companies.” Nearly lenges, health and pandemics. When understand that there were pandemics 20 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) you apply chemicals, then the food turns and epidemics in the last few decades emission comes from destruction of counterfeit. Chemicals are not part of the as we have deregulated commerce and forests in the last 2–3 decades. If we nutrition cycle as they kill soil microor- celebrated greed as the highest end of add to it the contributions of indus- ganisms, the butterflies, bees and polli- human activity which is measured trial and global food systems, that nators that give one-third of our food.” in terms off economic growth,”growth, said is destroying our healthhealth,, “wewe are Our food has lost 6060–70–7 per cent Vandana. WealthWealth is createdcreated byby extrac-extrac- ooff nutrients due to chemicchemicals in agri- tion from thehe earth, farmers, socsocietiesieties culture and then we fabricatefabrica a part of and communities.unities. “But true growthgrowth oourur ffoodood as junkjunk food.food. “We“W pay our should promotemote ggrowthrowth of trees, chichil-l- ffarmersarmers jjustust 0.04 paise for a packet of dren’s well-beingll-being and communitycommunity chichipsps which will make oouru children welfare,” shshee sasaid.id. BhutanB hutan standsstands obobeseese andand diabetic.”diabetic.” BiodiversityBiodive is the out as it hass memeasuredasured its wealth bbyy health of our ecosecosystemsystems aandn “Rotary Gross Nationalonal HHappinessappiness instead wiwillll hhaveave to jjoinoin us iinn ththee jojourney next of GDP or GNP. ddecadeecade to create an economyeconom of care Conquestsests and militarism are that reregeneratesgenerates earth,” she pointedp out. at the roots of violence againstagainst the earth and people,eople, leadingleading to divi-divi- PassPass climate laws sions in society.ciety. “The inequali-inequali- CallingCalling for world leaders ttoo act now to ties in our societysociety have become ffindind lonlong-termg-term and permanentperma solu- ttionsions to ppollutionollution anandd ototherh ecolog- Licypriya Kangujam ical crises, LicypriyaLicypriya who grew climate activist uupp in BhubaneswBhubaneswar,a said she

Need to mount a campaign against climate change - Feb 2021.indd 40 1/28/2021 1:28:19 PM had to drop-out of school in earth warmer. “Many children 2019 as she could not com- lost their homes with climate mute to Delhi from Odisha change becoming a global frequently to stage protests emergency, but our world lead- in front of the Parliament and ers don’t have the time to talk “my father could not afford to us,” she said. the travel expenses. I miss The best gift one can give my friends, teachers and this her children is not an expen- is an emotional time for me.” sive car or wads of money, “but She is urging PM a beautiful planet for which Narendra Modi and the we need to change the world, MPs in Parliament to pass starting from the family.” climate change bills into The founder of The Child laws to control carbon Vandana Shiva Movement recalled that emissions and GHG. She ecologist taking part in the UN’s disas- wants climate change to ter management conference be included in school curriculum so Worrisome trend in Mongolia as a six-year-old was a that India mounts a fight at the grass- Painting a gloomy picture, she said the life-changing experience for her and roots level. Licypriya has launched the bushfires in Australia, and California Greta Thunberg from Sweden influ- ‘Monday for Mother Nature’ drive for wildfires to destruction of Amazon enced her thought process. She was the schoolchildren with a target of plant- and Siberian forests to melting of the recipient of the Global Child Prodigy ing one million trees a year; so far 3.5 Himalayan snow caps and rising sea Award 2020 by Puducherry Lieutenant lakh saplings have got new shoots. levels, have all contributed to make the Governor Kiran Bedi in New Delhi.

Doing Good with TRF help Rotary facilitates paediatric heart surgeries Team Rotary News

ixty-six little children hailing from underprivileged event organised by the club at the hospital to cheer the Sfamilies were surgically treated for congenital heart children and their families. Gift of Life certificates, along diseases at the Satya Sai Sanjeevaninjeevani HospitalHospital inin Palwal,Palwal, wwithith some totoys,ys were given to the children Haryana, thanks to the dedicatedted effortsefforts ofof RC GurgaonGurgaon iinn tthehe presenpresencec of DG Sanjeev Rai Mehra, Harmony Iberis, RID 3011. TheThe surger-surger- PDG VVinayin Bhatia and district secre- ies costing `1.65 crore were sponsoredponsored tary MMohit Anand Bhatia. The mem- through a global grant supportort from bers of the partnering club, along RC Fort Wayne, RID 6540, USA. witwith DG John Frische from the The children came from variousrious UUS, joined in the celebration states across the country. ClubClub tthroughh a virtual platform. president Mukta Malhotra, ppastast The club provided a heart president Abdul Aziz Seyidyid aandn lung machine to the hospi- and club member Vivek Gourur tal. “We“W have been supporting the together contributed `29.6 lakhkh hohospitalsp in building its operation towards the project. ttheatreheat and an ICU through GGs. In sponsoring the surgeries, es, WWee hhopeo to have such larger and Rotary has not only saved thehe deedeeperper associations as over 15,000 lives of these children but it hass Club president cchildrenhildre are registered and awaiting also given life to their fami- Mukta Malhotra ttreatmentreatm and many will not live with a child patient. lies, said Mukta at a simple lolongng ifif left untreated,” said Mukta.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 41

Need to mount a campaign against climate change - Feb 2021.indd 41 1/28/2021 1:28:20 PM THIS IS OUR ACTION PLAN.

OUR PRIORITY WE’RE INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO ADAPT

K_We’re increasing our ability to adapt.indd 42 02-02-2021 17:10:21 Reimagining how we connect and serve Our Action Plan calls for us to become more nimble, responsive, and open to new ideas. As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us, the world can change fast — and in ways we can’t always prepare for.

But we’ve also learned our members are resilient and willing to use every achievement and setback as an opportunity to learn and innovate. We can balance the old with the new — and create the kinds of experiences, relationships, and structures that will carry us forward.

What we will do Use technology to make more connections and create new opportunities for participation

Listen to diverse voices when making decisions about Rotary’s future Create space and resources to support and test novel ideas

Improve governance models, structures, and business practices.

What your club can do

Build A fund for trying new ideas or activities

Try A new meeting schedule, location, or format

Re-evaluate Your governing structure to be more effective

Invite Non-member advisers to share new perspectives

Want to know more? Read the full Action Plan at rotary.org/actionplan.

K_We’re increasing our ability to adapt.indd 43 02-02-2021 17:10:21 Rotary, Lions can complement each other: RIPE Shekhar Mehta

V Muthukumaran

ach one bring one will be the and paramedics who are acquainting takes at least 30 years for women to new membership slogan that themselves well as frontline warriors rise up in the Rotary hierarchy from Ewill be launched in the first in the fight against the coronavirus.” the club, district to the top-most week of February, along with Rotary’s level. Now that the glass ceiling is annual theme, “as we want to shift the Complimenting NGOs broken with the appointment of RIPN responsibility of membership growth Both Rotary and Lions must come Jennifer Jones, I hope the gestation from the topmost level to the club, together to collaborate and comple- period will shorten for women leaders grassroots level,” said RIPE Shekhar ment each other as there is growing to claim their right place in Rotary,” Mehta speaking at a webinar hosted demand for humanitarian services in he said. Mehta was confident that this by the Eastern India Lions Leader- the world, he said. “While Lions have webinar would have a domino effect ship Academy. He expressed concern excelled in eyecare and related ser- “leading to action on the ground for over the fact that due to the pandemic, vices, Rotary has different focus areas us to evaluate further and take the col- money allotted for the development such as literacy, water and sanitation. laboration to the next level.” programmes, is being diverted for We should work in tandem with cor- RIPN Jones said both the service vaccines and immunisation drives. porates and local governments. To organisations were trying hard to “We have to contend with rising begin with we can start with a small “find the right matrices and measuring job losses, dropouts from schools project, but without forgetting the and poverty in the current situation,” larger picture,” he saidsaid.. Both tthehe he said. organisations must forgeorge ppartner-artner- On the positive side, the pandemic ships at the grassrootsts level to has taught some important lessons make an impact as ““wewe hahaveve for us to lead a better, healthier life. done in polio by formingorming a “We have to respect the environment. broad alliance with thehe WHWHO,O, A healthy lifestyle with family as the UNESCO, the Gateses Foun-Foun- key is critical for us to stay connected dation and other localal organi-organi- with our dear ones. We have to adapt sations.” Recalling thathat he had to a minimalistic approach to life with set up 15 eye hospitalsitals (11 in a hybrid outlook as the way forward,” West Bengal), he saidd that RotarRotaryy Mehta elaborated. will be more interestedted in sharingsharing The RI board has taken a decision expertise with Lionsns wwhichhich iiss to participate in the Covid vaccina- known for its contributionibution tion drive and “we will leverage from in the eyecare field. the brand we have created in polio eradication.” Rotary is in touch with Gender barrier the state governments and “we have When he takes over been invited by some to play a role in as RI president in the vaccination.” He cited the recent July 2021, he will help sought by a top UP bureaucrat be presiding over an in kicking off the vaccination pro- RI board which has cess in India’s biggest state as he nine women among was aware of the “Rotary doctors its 19 members. “It RIPE Shekhar Mehta

44 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Rotary, Lions can complement each other RIPE Shekhar Mehta - Feb 2021.indd 44 1/29/2021 12:18:47 PM Women’s membership in Rotary stood at 25 per cent and “they should be given opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For this to happen, diversity, equity and inclusion are critical for our growth,” she said. Age, gender and sexual orientation are challenging issues which will have to be tackled for Rotary to expand its membership, Jones noted. Douglas Alexander, first vice- president, Lions International, from Brooklyn, New York, said, “we have to embrace change to adapt to new ways of Douglas Alexander Vice President, Lions International RIPN Jennifer Jones communication for us to move forward. Now more Lions are attending online tools to evaluate the impact of their meetings and our doctors and nurses are Minnesota and Dr Patricia Hill, third community projects. We are economic reaching out to families.” He recalled VP, from Edmonton, Canada, shared engines that drive the world. Though the efforts of Lions in cancer and diabe- their perspectives on coping with the Rotary has disbursed around $29 mil- tes treatment in New York to point out ‘new normal’. Past Lions International lion through Covid response grants that using technology has made a big directors A P Singh and Sangeeta Jatia and other grants, at the district and difference. “We need to share our suc- moderated the discussion that saw a club-levels we would have done relief cess stories with rest of the world,” he participation of over 900 Rotarians and projects worth over $100 million.” said. Brian Sheehan, second VP, from Lions from across the world.

Jalandhar Rotarians distribute winter jackets Team Rotary News n a multipronged Iinitiative, more than 20 volunteers from RC Jalandhar, RID 3070, came together to distribute winter jackets to 550 underprivileged families. “We formed micro teams for project execution across different parts of the city. The project was conceived and sponsored by PDG S V Hans,” said Jasmin Pannu, wife of club president Club members with beneficiaries. Prabhpal Singh Pannu. A special distribution and the club organised The beneficiaries people, domestic help drive was conducted at programmes at places like included rickshaw and street vendors, the railway station for sports academies and slum pullers, daily wagers, besides trainees at the benefit of coolies colonies for bulk distribu- coolies, slum dwellers, the Birring Hockey and other Railway staff tion of winter jackets. physically-challenged Academy.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 45

Rotary, Lions can complement each other RIPE Shekhar Mehta - Feb 2021.indd 45 1/29/2021 12:18:48 PM Captaincy is all about blending collective talent: Rahul Dravid

V Muthukumaran

porting qualities important for we have to and getting financial ben- Dravid led the Indian such as talent, hard respect the rules, regu- efits, but the respect you team for one Test series Swork, integrity of lations and understand earn among youngsters in win against Pakistan on purpose, respect for the the larger purpose of this the country. It is all about their home soil, then opposition and the spirit activity. Don Bradman put how you carry and conduct toured West Indies and of the game need to come it right that ‘you are just yourself, for you do what won the series there after together to achieve long- custodians of that sport for you love and inspire the 35 years; and finally, beat term consistency and suc- the time you are in it.’ It is youngsters.” England on its home turf cess for sportsmen in their not just that one is there in in 2007, recalled Memon. chosen field, said Rahul the field only to win, make Facing setbacks, failures Greats like Gavaskar, Dravid, former captain of money for 10–15 years How did Rahul Dravid Sachin Tendulkar and India cricket team. and then move out.” cope with disappoint- Dhoni gave up Test In a Q&A session The 1983 World ments, setbacks and captaincy after a series titled Truth Talks with Cup win has changed failures in his career? Of of losses, “but you gave sports journalist Ayaz the cricket scenario in course, not able to win a up the leadership after Memon, at the virtual the country. Till that World Cup and getting a series win in England. Rotary institute, he time “Test cricket was knocked out early in the Can you explain that,” said, “sportsmanship is the craze and along with 2007 tournament still he asked. other budding talent in rankles him. “I had to the 1970s1970s–80s, 80s, I aspired face such failures and ttoo become another SSunilunil learn from it, but couldn’t GGavaskar,avaskar, GunGundappadappa dwell on it for long as ViViswanathswanath anandd KaKapilpil Dev.” we have to look ahead. “Sports is not jjustust We can’t think hard on ababoutout wwinninginning or llosingosing past setbacks.” In 2004,

Former Team India captain Rahul Dravid in conversation with sports journalist Ayaz Memon.

46 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Sportsmen inspire youngsters in India Rahul Dravid - Feb 2021.indd 46 1/28/2021 1:31:40 PM Replied Dravid: “Soon gone are the days of an coach got extra money, feel like accepting this after the series win in authoritarian or dictatorial but “I asked for equal dis- award from the university England, I realised that tenor with information tribution of prize money for personally I don’t fit one needs to give 100 per explosion giving rise to a (to support staff) as it is into this. I have got sev- cent energy and mental need for pooling in collec- team effort and everybody eral awards such as ICC space for the captaincy tive intelligence, knowl- contributed for our win.” Player of the Year Award, and I felt that I was not edge to achieve better Dravid goes by his Padma Shri, Padma Bhu- there, it was dragging on results.” An India cricket conscience and that is shan, etc for my cricket- me. I was mentally and captain must be able to why he turned down the ing abilities.” physically drained and blend harmoniously the offer of honorary doctor- Having conversa- could not take it forward. collective skills and talent ate from the Bangalore tions such as this one on So, I decided to give it to of his team members to University. “My mom sporting principles, roles, someone else.” achieve results on the got a doctorate in art challenges, and acknowl- On captaincy quali- ground, he said. at the age of 56–57. So edging the mistakes of the ties, the Wall of Indian After winning the we have two doctors in past and learning from it cricket said, “it has to be a Under-19 World Cup in our family (his wife is a is a great platform, Dravid consensual leadership for 2018, Dravid as head surgeon). But I did not added.

Doing Good with TRF help Rotary opens Covid ICU at Jalgaon hospital Team Rotary News

Covid ICU unit was Ainstalled at the Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College and Hospital by RC Jalgaon West, RID 3030, through a global grant project by roping in RC Tallahassee, US, RID 6940, as its global partner. The project cost `34 lakh. An exclusive Covid ward attached to this ICU unit has all ultra-modern equipment including ventilators, motor- ised beds, defibrillators, infu- sion pumps and monitors, among others. “The Covid ward is beneficial for not only corona patients but for other treatments also. This PDGs Kishor Kedia and Rajiv Sharma with club members ward will be offered free for at the newly set up Covid ICU at the Dr Ulhas Patil Hospital. low-income families,” said Tushar Chitte, club president. Kedia, Rajeev Sharma, also the and Godawari Foundation, Jalgaon, DGs Shabbir Shakir, RID 3030, ARRFC, zone-6, Mahesh Mokalkar, chairman Dr Ulhas Patil were present Jane Pooley, RID 6940, IPDG DGN Dr Anand Jhunjhunwala, either physically or virtually at the Rajendra Bhamre, PDGs Kishor project chair Dr Sushilkumar Rane ICU inaugural.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 47

Sportsmen inspire youngsters in India Rahul Dravid - Feb 2021.indd 47 1/28/2021 1:31:41 PM Make every drop count

Preeti Mehra

With Rotary International making ‘Supporting the dwellers take it for granted. So, how much water do we consume? Environment’ its seventh area of focus, we bring you Typical estimates have it that on a monthly column ‘Go Green’ with practical tips on an average every urban Indian uses what all of us can do individually to save our planet. 135 litres of water a day, of which only three litres are consumed for drinking. The rest goes into cooking (4 litres), bathing (20 litres), flush- ing (40 litres), washing clothes (40 litres), washing dishes (20 litres) and gardening (23 litres). So, what are the steps each of us can take to reduce our water consumption? Let us start with drinking water. Consuming it is of utmost importance, but the reverse osmosis (RO) system that majority of us use to purify water leaves a trail of wastewater. This impure water that is filtered out can be collected and used in a variety of ways. By putting a large container under the here is no doubt that Mother All that is required is bringing discharge pipe, we can collect the Earth is going through hor- about small changes in our day- unpotable water which can be used Trid environmental changes. to-day habits and the choices we for mopping floors, cleaning toilets Rising sea levels, melting glaciers make. Indeed, it will come as a and watering plants. and extreme weather events like surprise the difference each one of In the bathroom water can flash floods are all warning signals. us can make in the long run by sen- be saved through sensible use. If we want to halt this alarming sible use of our resources. The best Be mindful of not letting the tap trend, we can do a lot more than ‘going green’ begins at home. running needlessly when you wash talk about it. We must act and get Let’s focus on water first. your hands, face, brush your teeth others to act. Saving this life sustaining nectar, or shave. Bathroom taps typically It does not involve making any everyone agrees, is the most effec- run 7 to 8 litres of water a minute great sacrifice. The notion that tive and environmentally sound and if they are turned off while adapting a nature-friendly lifestyle way to fight global warming. It is brushing teeth or lathering for a involves giving up on comforts, said that if we save water, it will shave, the saving per month can be performing tedious and time- save us in the future. enormous. consuming chores which take the At every home, water is a The next time you need to fun out of living is not true. precious commodity, though city change a tap, a shower or the flush

4848 ROTARYROTARY NEWSNEWS FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 20212021

P_Go Green_Make every drop count.indd 48 02-02-2021 17:23:14 system, opt for a low-flow shower, Water saving can be done while The elaborate ones come with a tank, faucet aerators and a dual flush or washing dishes as well. Dish wash- pump and a purification system. But low-flow toilet. These new water ers are not frequently used in the for a simple rain harvester you only saving designs and technologies can country, though they too come with need a large drum, or a rain barrel as it make a great difference. Also, make star certification. The other method is technically called, that catches water sure there are no leaking taps as a while washing with hand is to fill the from the roof, sidewalks and drive- leaking faucet can waste 75 litres of sink with water and soap and soak way through pipes and downspouts. water a day and a leaky toilet 700 the dishes for a while. Rinsing them The collected water can be used for litres a day! then to make them oil and soap-free hand-watering plants, the garden and Washing clothes consumes becomes a simpler task. even cleaning. But do remember to a lot of water. Minimise use by In several cities, rains come in cover the drum with a lid or tarpaulin soaking clothes for a while. This plenty and it is easy to tap this rainwa- so that mosquitoes are kept at bay. can help in getting rid of the dirt ter for future use. Rain water harvest- There is also wisdom in water- in less washes. For those opting ing systems are of different kinds. ing your plants in the morning as for washing machines, apparently they require less water at a lower front-loading machines use less temperature. water than top-loading ones. More Overall, the trick is in improving important, if you are shopping for Make sure there are no leaking the efficiency of water at every step, a new washing machine, do go for reducing its loss and waste. Making taps as a leaking faucet can waste one that has a Bureau of Energy every drop count as it were, and in Efficiency star certification. The 75 litres of water a day and a turn promoting a sustainable lifestyle five-star certification is the best. leaky toilet 700 litres a day. for everybody in our planet. These use 30 per cent less water and 25 per cent less electricity than The writer is a senior journalist regular washing machines. who writes on environmental issues.

Rotary equips Pondicherry hospitals

Team Rotary News

amir Kamra, physiotherapy to Smember of RC instrument calibration Pondicherry Port, and transportation RID 2981, sponsored of donated organs. a desktop computer “It will also help in worth `50,000 to the enhancing Covid Covid ward at the testing,” said Rajesh General Hospital and Candamourty, club a flake ice maker secretary. worth `2.5 lakh to Club president the Indira Gandhi M Nandakumar, Medical College and treasurer Shrikanth Research Institute. R D and Kamra, Flake ice has a along with his wife variety of medical Nalini, handed over and laboratory the equipment to the Members of RC Pondicherry Port at the Indira uses ranging from hospital authorities. Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute.

FEBRUARYFEBRUARY 20212021 ROTARYROTARY NEWSNEWS 4949

P_Go Green_Make every drop count.indd 49 02-02-2021 17:23:15 Rotary Task Force for Covid vaccination

Team Rotary News

he Covid vaccine has been in handling polio immunisation breaking down the resistance during rolled out in India on Jan- programme will be of immense our polio eradication programme. T uary 16 with the first shots value to the government, especially Rotary has no mileage to gain from being given to health workers and when it comes to countering some this except to save precious lives frontline staff. wrong perceptions that will arise of people in every household,” he Senior Rotary leaders in India from certain misinformed sections in said, and urged Rotary clubs to seek have formed the Rotary’s Covid the society,” said Mahajan in a letter the support of large organisations in Vaccination Task Force in India addressed to the district governors. their area for utilising their various headed by PRID Ashok Mahajan as He has urged them to lead facilities during the vaccination pro- its chairman to assist the government a team of volunteers and create gramme in addition to contributions in the vaccination drive. “We have awareness about the vaccine among for the cause. had initial discussions on how the public. Wherever there is a “We will work together and Rotary can partner in taking the resistance, proper information must show that no pandemic is too big for programme to all citizens across be disseminated about its efficacy. Rotarians in India to handle,” said India. Our expertise and network “Our advocacy skills were proved in Mahajan.

Rotary’s Covid Vaccination Task Force in India

Mentor Shekhar Mehta, RI President 2021–22

Senior Advisor Senior Advisor PRIP Rajendra Saboo PRIP Kalyan Banerjee Advisory Board Members PP S K Jain, RID 3131 Chairman PDG Dilip Salgaocar, RID 3170 PRID Ashok Mahajan PDG D N Padhi, RID 3262 PDG Upkar Singh Sethi, RID 3070 PDG J B Kamdar, RID 3232 Vice Chairman Vice Chairman PP Ajay Saxena, RID 3120 PDG Deepak Kapur PDG Ranjan Dhingra PDG Jogesh Gambhir, RID 3250

Zonal Coordinators (Assigned Districts) PDG T K Ruby (3070, 3080, 3090), PDG Anoop Agarwal (3100, 3110, 3120), PDG Vinod Bhatia (3011, 3012, 3053), PDG Ashok Panjwani (3040, 3054, 3060), PDG Jayant Kulkarni (3030, 3141, 3142), PDG Rajeev Pradhan (3131, 3132, 3170), PDG Kishore Cherukumali (3020, 3150, 3160), PDG Manjunath Shetty (3181, 3182, 3190), PDG C R Raju (2981, 3231, 3232), PDG Sunil K Zachariah (3201, 3204, 3211), PDG Mukul Sinha (3240, 3262, 3291), PDG Vivek Kumar (3250, 3261), PDG Gopalakrishnan (2982,3000, 3203, 3212)

P_Rotary Task Force for Covid vaccination.indd 50 02-02-2021 17:23:47 All clubs should get PAN and be KYC compliant Team Rotary News

n a letter written to club and dis- fulfil obligations. As these require- advisor/chartered accountant will be trict leaders, RI Directors Bharat ments cannot be overlooked, RI seeks the best to guide you on the process. Pandya and Kamal Sanghvi have cooperation of all the Rotary clubs/ Iurged all the Rotary clubs in India districts in India without exception.” Who is responsible for meeting to comply with the new norms and regu- with the compliances of income tax lations implemented by the government To help decode what this means, RISAO (or other statutory) authorities on of India for the voluntary sector. The let- has drawn up and answered some FAQs: yearly basis? ter says: “As you are aware, Rotary clubs Depending on the law under which are independent legal entities, governed Why is a Rotary club’s registration your club may be registered by your by their respective constitutional docu- so important? professional advisor, there would be ments and charter. However, whether or RI has always encouraged its clubs certain statutory compliances. Your not a Rotary club is incorporated/regis- to be compliant with the prevailing legal advisor/chartered accountant will tered, such club qualifies as a “person” laws of the land. The Union Budget be the best to guide you on the process. under Section 2(31) of the Income Tax 2020–21, read with the recently Act, 1961 and hence is a taxable entity enacted Finance Act, 2020, is focused Is the registration of Rotary club under the Act. Every Rotary club has on bringing in transparency in trans- mandatory under Rotary Manual an annual budget of expenses and this actions under the head of donations/ of Procedures? amount is pooled in by the members, voluntary contributions, A registered No. Although, the Rotary Manual of and has (income) receipts such as fees Rotary club can have its independent Procedure does not mandate the reg- received from club members; sponsor- bank account, registered address and istration of Rotary clubs, however, the ship money for conducting seminars PAN, which are now mandates of Rotary Code of Policies does require from third parties/advertisements rev- KYC for all relevant financial trans- all its member clubs to be strictly com- enues; interest on bank balance and actions which could be scrutinised by pliant and in conformity with the laws deposits of the club etc. an Income Tax Assessment Office. of the land. Accordingly, clubs qualify as an ‘assessee’ under the I-T Act, where What legal steps are required for Does the club need to submit PAN there is any income arising to the registration? card/ compliance proofs with RISAO? clubs that may be subject to income There are different laws and corre- No, the club is expected to have a PAN tax. Lack of registration of clubs and sponding procedures, governed by card and necessary records for KYC therefore not applying for PAN may local state laws, which govern the reg- purposes. be construed as Rotary clubs operat- istration or incorporation of any entity. ing in contravention of the prevailing It is advisable that you contact a local Whom can we contact at RISAO for laws, ie, under Income Tax Act, 1961, legal advisor or chartered accountant the registration process? read with the KYC norms issued by the for the best options and procedures While we at RISAO are always happy Reserve Bank of India. available for your club. to support and help, however, since the Due to not meeting these require- laws and procedures are specific and ments, many Rotary clubs/districts What legal compliances are required unique to each club, and in accordance have faced challenges while opening for a registered Rotary club? with the local laws and procedures of bank accounts for club and foundation Compliances for registered entities the state in which your club is situ- activities. Each Rotary club/district is also corresponds with the laws under ated, RISAO can only offer the limited therefore expected/advised to act in which your club may be incorpo- advice for you to reach out to the local conformity with Indian laws and duly rated/formally organised. Your legal legal advisor/chartered accountant.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 51

K_All clubs should get PAN and be KYC compliant.indd 51 02-02-2021 17:08:17 Unveiling the mystery of the cosmos for children Rasheeda Bhagat

e were so happy to Added Meenakshi, a Class 8 stu- exclaimed: “I have learnt so many visit the Jawaharlal dent from a government school: “This new things today and want to work Nehru Planetarium, is one of the most memorable moments here as a guide. I wish I could join Wwhere we learnt so in our life. We really enjoyed the visit tomorrow itself!” much about science and found how and I learnt that the sun is one of the Considered one of the top 10 in olden days people used to see the brightest planet and the exhibits will planetariums in India, the sky-theatre time through the sun, how the pendu- make our science learning easy.” Kala, shows here are immensely popular and lum principle works, and that white from the Government Girls Home, are attended by about two lakh visitors colour doesn’t absorb heat and black Bengaluru, was euphoric, and said, every year. These blend science with colour absorbs so much heat. It was “I felt like I was there in those planets literature, art, and cultural aspects of so exciting to see the optic tree, the and was taking a video while I was many countries using special anima- whispering dish, where we could talk standing there!” tion, visual effects and videos. to each other without any connection. Her friend Amritha, who kept But these shows, as well as To watch the show which told us how quizzing everybody on anti-gravity, the rest of the planetarium, the sun and all the planets were born was amazing,” gushed Sangeetha, a Students experimenting with acoustics at the Jawaharlal student from Vidyaranya institute in Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru. Bengaluru.

K_Unveiling the mystery of the cosmos for children_1.indd 52 02-02-2021 17:10:19 which was set up by the Bengaluru City Corporation in 1989, fell silent as the lethal Covid-19 virus compelled the planetarium, the city and the rest of India to lock down in the last week of March.

I n November 2020, when this planetarium got permission from the government to reopen the sky theatre and science park, but with strict guidelines on proper sanitation facilities, social distancing and reduced capacity, keeping in mind the corona pandemic, its director, Pramod Galgali, reached out to S Jayaraman, a member of Rotary RT Nagar in Bengaluru. He needed financial support to put in place some of the statutory require- Project for the Development of Peo- up a computer lab at the planetarium ments such as foot-operated faucets ple, which also runs a home for 60 too. So this time when he sought my at all public conveniences, sanitising children, mostly from single parents help, I was able to get funding support stations at several points around the and broken homes, has been in touch from the corporae Kewaunee Labway facility that is being managed by the with Galgali, who has risen from the India,” says Jayaraman. Bangalore Association for Science ranks to head the planetarium. “He But even though the planetarium Education (BASE), thermal screening is a wonderful person who is really opened, as schools are still closed and facilities at the entrance, regular sani- interested in people benefitting from the people in the city were hesitant to tisation of the sky theatre and contact- this planetarium. Over the years when visit a public place such as this, Galgali less ticketing. he needs any support, Rotarians from suggested that Rotary take up a project Jayaraman, who runs his own NGO our district (3190) have helped. I have to bring in underprivileged children to in Bengaluru called the Integrated helped in giving laptops and setting the planetarium. “He agreed to waive off the entry fee of `40 for children to visit the sky theatre show for the month of December, and so we seized this opportunity and created a project titled Taralaya Pravasa.” He next set about the task of find- ing 1,000 kids who were supported by various NGOs to visit the planetarium. A Rotarian for 31 years, Jayaraman has been working in the social sector for as many, or even more years. First of all, the Sankya Vidhya Foundation, which had been supporting the planetarium in other projects earlier, came forward to join hands with the Rotari- ans. Next, he approached other Rotary clubs and NGOs to create the logistics

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 53

K_Unveiling the mystery of the cosmos for children_1.indd 53 02-02-2021 17:10:23 and provide food to the children, so Sri Sai Spiritual Centre Trust member, that they would get an enjoyable out- Srichand Rajpal, to help with the food. ing akin to a picnic. “Although the initial project was meant to take 500 little visitors to the planetarium, and hence 500 food packets were required, the number grew first to 1,000 and finally to 1,500 and we A member of Rotary Bangalore are happy that we managed to organise Orchards, Neil Micheal Joseph, who sumptuous and tasty lunches that every runs the Baghirathi Travel Solutions, child enjoyed,” says Jayaraman. “solved the major issue of transporting The Rotarian was able to get the the kids. His buses are normally used children to enjoy their lunch seated to ply children to and from schools. in a nice, green area at the complex, But with schools being closed now thanks to help from “two wonderful thanks to the pandemic, he was able women, Thara and Chandrakala, who to provide us an airconditioned bus to are social workers known to me. They pick up and drop the children, after the spontaneously offered their services to visit to the planetarium.” bring food regularly from the Sri Sai Vincent Raj, president of RC Spiritual Centre and serve it with love Bangalore, connected him with to the children.” one of his club members and a Luckily, thanks to Covid, the cook who normally prepares meals for Above: Rotarians S Jayaraman, schoolchildren was free; his specialty Mohammad Tasleel, Ashok is a vegetable pulao, and along with Mahadevan with Deepa Cholan, curd rice, this was prepared and served project director, Sarava Shiksha to the children, but only after Thara Abhiyan, and Pramod Galgali, director, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium.

K_Unveiling the mystery of the cosmos for children_1.indd 54 02-02-2021 17:10:35 and Chandrakala had explained to were taken in different shifts over a was inaugurated by Arshad, MLA of them the necessity of washing their few days. the Shivajinagar constituency. Mercy hands with soap and offering a prayer RC Bangalore North West president Mission, an NGO, provided chocolates of thanks before their meal. The direc- Sumathi Rao, Manisha Vasan of Rotary to over 1,000 children. “The nicest thing tor assigned them a place where the RT Nagar, and Rotary Manyata presi- about this project was that many Rotary food was served and the children dent Tasleel all helped to provide the clubs joined hands and identified and enjoyed a hearty meal. The children other support required. The programme involved NGOs to get the children to the planetarium. A few Rotarians from each club came along with the children and this helped in the smooth conduct of the programme, and also helped provide the children additional snacks, which they thoroughly enjoyed,” he said. He added that for most of the children, and even their adult caretakers who accompanied them, this was their first visit to a planetarium, and they found it “both an enjoyable as well as a learning experience. We do hope we have planted the seeds for at least a handful of future astronomers!” Vani, a student from the Govern- ment Girls Home summed it up nicely when she said: “I never imagined that the universe is so huge; I now realise that we, the human beings, are smaller Volunteers Thara and Chandrakala from the Sri Sai Spiritual Centre than a speck of dust. The food was serve food to the children. super; I even took a small helping.”

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 55

K_Unveiling the mystery of the cosmos for children_1.indd 55 02-02-2021 17:10:37 ϱϮϵ

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Ptemp_PS_P_Membership_Membership Details - Fe bDetailsruary 2- 0January21.indd 2021_2.indd 57 19 28-01-202102-02-202 1 15:14:17 17:23:27 Quintessential Vajpayee

Rasheeda Bhagat

hen former Prime he was constantly criticised by sev- the foreign affairs portfolio, took Minister A B Vajpayee eral sections on various counts. great care to address each of the Wpassed away in August The closeness of Sinha, an IAS points raised by Vajpayee. “Even 2018, there was a spontaneous officer, who had spent long years as as Vajpayee was critical of Nehru’s outpouring of grief. Even from those Vajpayee’s private secretary, when policies, he seemed overawed by who are opposed to the BJP and he was in power, and chose to stay the latter. After Nehru’s death, its ideology, because by and large with him, even when he wasn’t, is Vajpayee’s eloquent eulogy in the Vajpayee was considered a man of well-known in political and bureau- Rajya Sabha (as MP there), was that moderation. There was nostalgia for cratic circles. Much has been written of an admirer,” says the book. Vajpayee’s moderation and his abil- about Vajpayee, and yet Sinha’s Even in 1994, at the request of ity to keep the ‘extremists’ on book has to be read, especially for then PM Narasimha Rao, it was his side of the ideological fence those who, despite being on the Vajpayee who led the Indian dele- under control.” opposite side of the political fence, gation to the UN and successfully But this “nostalgia was mislead- admired the late leader for his sense countered Pakistan’s putting the ing”, says Shakti Sinha in his latest of fairness and justice and consid- Kashmir issue on the UN Human book, a biography of the late prime ered him a “dove among hawks” in Rights agenda. minister titled Vajpayee:Vajpayee: tthehe Sangh Parivar. As any biograbiographyp of Vajpayee The yearsyears thathatt SSinha’sinha’s account takes us back to is exexpectedpected to do, the book does talk changedchanged IndiaIndia. an era where ppoliticalolitical oopponentspponents about Vajpayee’s terms in office as HHee argues thathatt wwereere not considered dedevilsvils oorr pprimerime minister, ththee first one in March dduringuring aallll hihiss untoucuntouchables.hables. He recarecallslls tthathat 11998,998, tthehe ffallall ooff hihis government in yyearsears iinn anandd aass a Jana SanSanghgh MP inin thethe 1133 montmonths,hs, anandd hihis subsequent return ooutut ooff power, Lok Sabha 191957,57, VaVajpayee’sjpayee’s as prprimeime mministerinister later in 1999, to fifirstrst speecspeechh was on fforeignoreign ccompleteomplete a ffullull tetermr in government. popolicy,licy, wwhichhich remaremainedined AAllll tthehe requrequiredired dadatelines and events hihiss ffavouriteavourite susubject.bject. are tthere,here, bbutut tthehe bbook is made more PrimPrimee MiniMinisterster interestininterestingg by SinSinha’sh long associa- Jawahar Lal tion with his bossboss.. For instance, he NNehru,ehru, who tells us that VajpaVajpayee was by nature hhadad retained “a shyshy person,person, notnot at all a backslap- ppinging sort and slosloww to open up.” He hhadad no gogodfatherdfather iin politics, had ririsensen to tthehe totopmostpmo level by sheer mermeritit andand was “strangely“str very con- ssciouscious ooff hihiss lilimitations,mita and it was tthishis tthathat mamadede him very successful.” A llotot iiss wrwrittenitten about his great oratororatorialial sskills;kills; tthehe author tells us hhowow “peop“peoplele nevnevere understood how oobservantbservant hhee waswas,, how conscious of using the correcorrectc word at critical times and how mmuchu effort he could

K_Quintessential Vajpayee.indd 58 02-02-2021 17:09:50 put into things that he found impor- to form an alternative government, tant. His pauses while speaking, were and Vajpayee was asked to head a not just for effect but for precision.” caretaker government. Sinha adds that in the run up to the next election, “Vajpayee made it clear that Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin would not be an issue, nor would the NDA run The book also gives us great a personality-based election; he said insight onto the troubled Vajpayee that it should, instead lay emphasis government in 1998, which was on the real issues and the achieve- jolted all the time by its own allies, ment of his government.” principally AIADMK chief The government fell in April, the J Jayalalithaa, followed by TMC’s Kargil incursion happened in May Mamata Banerjee. Two carefully and on the intervention of the then chosen pictures — that of an anxious US President Bill Clinton, on July 4, and frowning Vajpayee, seated Sharif publicly committed to Clinton before a Jayalalithaa perusing some that Pakistan would withdraw forces papers, possibly a list of demands — to its side of the LoC. Looking back, and the next of a totally relaxed it seems incredible that a caretaker PM grinning in a frame with TDP’s when he took office in March 1998 government in India, headed by the Chandrababu Naidu, one of his or after his Lahore visit, which very mature and astute Vajpayee, trusted alliance partners, tell it all! should have been followed by days deftly handled the Kargil incursions Jaya’s principal demands were of basking in the sun.” The reference and avoided a disastrous war. withdrawal of the plethora of corrup- is of course to the famous bus ride to Read this book to learn about tion cases against her and appoint- Lahore that Vajpayee announced in the rise of Vajpayee, the qualities of ment of Subramaniam Swamy as such good faith to improve Indo-Pak the man that made him the endear- the finance minister! Mamata kept ties, and which boomeranged with ing leader that he was and why storming out of NDA coordination Pakistan, more the army chief Gen he is being missed today. Though committee meetings protesting that Pervez Musharraf, rather than Prime not a complete biography, it gives West Bengal was being “neglected”, Minister Nawaz Sharif, responding the reader an important slice of and Jayalalithaa gave him endless with the Kargil incursions which Vajpayee’s years in politics, what pinpricks, constantly bickering brought the two countries on the made the man tick, his friends and about who should be included in the brink of war. foes, etc. An important component of Vajpayee ministry and who should Earlier, the political drama in this book comprises details about the be dropped. Delhi came to a climax with both spearheading of important economic The author says that “one of Sonia Gandhi and Jayalalithaa reforms by the late prime minister the tragedies of Vajpayee as prime attending a tea party hosted by and how he skilfully manoeuvred the minister was that he was denied any Swamy in Delhi on March 29, 1999, economy to ensure the country did kind of honeymoon period, either famously known as “storm in a tea not sink into an economic disaster cup”. Finally, Vajpayee’s govern- after the imposition of economic ment fell by just one vote, and says sanctions following the nuclear tests Sinha: “I had never seen Vajpayee in Pokhran in April 1998. Vajpayee: The years more distraught than when he walked The man who emerges from that changed India back into his room in the Parlia- these pages is an affable, moderate, ment House after losing the vote of articulate, reasonable, and yet a Author: Shakti Sinha confidence. He was crestfallen and firm and astute leader, who could Publisher: Penguin in tears.” weave magic with his oratory and 351 pages Of course the Congress which charm even his rivals. That he left an `599 ensured that this government fell, indelible mark on India is beautifully could not muster enough numbers captured in this book.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 59

K_Quintessential Vajpayee.indd 59 02-02-2021 17:09:54 Meet your Governors

V Muthukumaran

Despite Covid, he wants to add 1,000 members K Pandian Auditor, RC Vellore Midtown, RID 3231 ver long years, Pandian has led many district projects that saw a participation of large number of Rotarians and their Ofamilies, “thus creating strong bonds of friendship during special occasions such as Pongal vizha, Diwali and hosting polio marathons,” he says. The district has 97 clubs and 3,850 Rotarians, and he plans to induct 1,000 new members. He is sad that duing the corona pandemic, 300 members have quit Rotary in the district in the last few months. There are 75 Rotaract clubs with about 2,000 members in this district. But as colleges and schools were closed, it is difficult to add new Rotaract clubs now, says Pandian. Once normalcy returns, his district will take up disbursements of one lakh seed balls through choppers for which permission is in place. RC Gudiyatham will construct 65 new houses for needy families (GG: `1.5 crore), while RC Ranipet Sipcot will conduct a mega polio marathon in the last week of January. In healthcare, RC Tiruvallur Royal has inked a pact with the Government Hospital for maintaining its blood bank over a 10-year period at a cost of `85 lakh. RC Tiruvannamalai Moon City has joined hands with the Tanker Foundation to open a dialysis centre with eight machines through a GG project ($85,000) being done with a few clubs from Nepal. A CT scan centre will be set up by RC Vellore Midtown (GG: $60,000) and an existing dialysis centre with 18 machines is being expanded with eight more units by RC Vellore Fort. Pandian’s target for TRF giving is $2 million. He aims to collect 5,000 units of blood through blood donation camps. “Through my auditor friend, I became a charter member of RC Vellore East in 1987 and then switched over to RC Vellore Midtown in 1990. I have conducted artificial limb fitment camps benefitting over 300 amputees,” he adds.

60 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Meet your Governors_February 2021.indd 60 02-02-2021 17:09:32 Happy schools, medical projects to be top district programmes Saumya Ranjan Mishra Lawyer, RC Bhubaneswar Confluence, RID 3262

eep Rotary simple and take it to the public is Medical College Hospital, the district slogan he had coined as part of a Cuttack, under the Covid Kpublic image building exercise. He wants to disaster response grant. Over add 10 new clubs and 500 new Rotarians to the existing 200 freshly-cooked food packets tally of 107 clubs and 3,800 Rotarians in the district. are being distributed daily to needy “There are 60 Rotaract clubs and 1,500-plus Rotarac- families under the Hunger-free Odisha, a flagship tors. Ten new clubs have been formed and 10 more district project, in and around Bhubaneswar. will be added by end-June,” says Saumya Mishra. He During his training as a lawyer at the American plans to convert 50 Rotaractors into Rotarians during Centre, Kolkata, “I was introduced to Rotary by Rtn his tenure. In TRF giving, his target is $200,000. Kailash Kanungo who invited me to join RC Bhu- Two dialysis centres will be set up at the JPM baneswar Cosmopolitan in 2000.” Later on, he became Rotary Eye Hospital, Cuttack, (DDF) and the govern- the charter secretary of RC Bhubaneswar Confluence ment hospital, Berhampur, (GG: `40 lakh). in 2008. One of his memorable moments in Rotary Fifty Happy Schools will be set up in Berhampur, was the adoption of two villages — Phirkinali and Bhubaneswar and Balasore through a mix of DDF, Pitagadia in Khordha district — when he was club private sponsorship and CSR funds. Digital classrooms president. “We had built a school, laid an approach will be installed at 40 government high schools. Two road, provided water and electricity, and toilets in each ventilators will be donated to the SCB Government house in these two villages,” he recalls.

A mega multispecialty hospital coming up in Tirupur Dr Hari Krishnan Nambiar Dental surgeon, RC Kasaragod, RID 3202

here are 142 clubs with around 6,000 Rotarians Nambiar’s goal for TRF in this district spread across Wayanad, Kannur, is $770,000. Three govern- TKozhikode, Kasaragod and Malappuram in ment schools in Tirupur will Kerala and Tirupur, Erode and Ooty in Tamil Nadu. get toilet blocks (GG: $45,000) Hari Krishnan Nambiar is confident of induct- shortly and 10,000 schoolchildren ing at least 800 new members during his tenure. have been given postal savings accounts with “I have chartered six new clubs, including two e-clubs, a balance of `250 in and around Tirupur. A mobile out of 10 planned for this year.” RC Tirupur West blood bank in Tirupur and mobile breast cancer detec- is constructing a three-storeyed multispecialty hos- tion unit in Mettupalayam were inaugurated recently. pital (GG: $100,000) with an investment of `5 crore “We plan to launch paediatric heart surgeries and this in Mangalam village. Named Tirupur West Medical is still on the drawing board,” he says. All the 28 clubs Trust Hospital, it will be inaugurated in two years. The in Kannur will implement this medical project. He was same club is constructing a 6km-canal for providing influenced by the late PDG Suryaprakash Bhat to join irrigation at this village under a GG project. RC Kasaragod in 1998.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 61

K_Meet your Governors_February 2021.indd 61 02-02-2021 17:09:32 Membership, TRF giving are his twin challenges B Rajarama Bhat Poultry farming, RC Kallianpur, RID 3182

etaining membership and motivating Rotar- he aims at a district contribution of $200,000 ians to give to TRF are the two main chal- to TRF. A dialysis centre was set up at the Goretti Rlenges being faced by Rajarama Bhat during Hospital, Kallianpur, under a GG of `30 lakh. “We this pandemic. With 83 clubs and 3,130 Rotarians, “I are looking for a global partner to set up a dialy- have set a modest membership growth of 10 per cent, sis unit at the GH, Balehonnur in Chikkamagaluru adding at least 300 new members.” By June-end, he district. A mammography unit was installed at the is hopeful of starting 4–5 new clubs in the district. Usha Nursing Home, Shimoga, with a GG worth There are 50 Rotaract and 103 Interact clubs with `37 lakh,” he says. around 4,500 Rotaractors in the district. “I want to The district has entered into a partnership with a charter more community-based Rotaract clubs as private channel to distribute 2,500 computer tablets members quit at regular intervals in institution-based to Class 10 students under Project Gnanadeevige. clubs,” he says. Noting that only 25 per cent mem- Bhat was influenced by his business friend bers are giving to TRF, he has urged each Rotarian Narayana Shetty to join RC Kallianpur as its char- to contribute at least `2,000 every year to the Foun- ter member in 1985. “Though I have moved out of dation. “The slogan — Every Rotarian Every Year this place and expanded my business, I still continue (EREY) — is dear to me,” says Bhat, adding that to be an active member in my home club,” he adds.

Project Positive Health, his priority Sudip Mukherjee Food processing equipment RC Calcutta Lansdowne, RID 3291

ith around 3,920 Rotarians across For TRF giving, he has set 159 clubs in the district, Sudip a target of $400,000. WMukherjee is hopeful of a 15 per Project Positive Health- cent net growth in membership this year. Know Your Numbers is being “Some members have left the clubs due to implemented in urban and rural Kolkata economic reasons and the pandemic lock- by the clubs and RCCs throughout the year. down,” he says. “While nine exclusive NCD camps were held However, he is keen that district-funded so far, we have conducted tests for NCDs in projects for small clubs as well as district participants in two other mega health camps,” grant projects for medium clubs should not he says. be affected despite many hurdles. “We have His father S K Mukherjee who was pres- taken up cervical cancer vaccination camps, ident of RC Ballygunge, got him to join set up a mobile eye screening van, done IoL Rotaract in 1981 and later on, helped him to surgeries for the underprivileged and set up become a member of RC Calcutta Lansdowne a vocational centre for needy persons, all in 2001. “My Rotary mentor is PDG Angsu- through global grants,” Mukherjee explains. man Bandyopadhyay,” he smiles. Designed by N Krishnamurthy

62 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Meet your Governors_February 2021.indd 62 02-02-2021 17:09:35 From RI South Asia Office desk

Depleting RF(I) funds Rotary’s values, history, and the ben- Recognition items commemorate giv- For the past five years, thanks to the efits of membership and is available ing at these levels:

generosity of donors, Rotary Founda- at https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/ z Level 1: $10,000 to $24,999 tion (India) has had adequate funds for document/discover-rotary. z Level 2: $25,000 to $49,999 disbursement of grant payments from the RF(I)-INR account. Over the last Club banners z Level 3: $50,000 to $99,999 two years, we are delighted to see an TRF offers clubs several opportunities z Level 4: $100,000 to $249,999 increase in grant activity, and we have to earn recognition for their support of completely spent the available World its grants and programmes. Here is the Tips to help clubs/districts Fund as well as depleted funds in the list of various club banners available to strengthen their social media RF(I)-INR account much faster than Rotary clubs: 100% Foundation Giv- engagement in 2021 anticipated. ing Club; 100% Every Rotarian, Every z Identify the most suitable plat- Rotary clubs and districts in India Year Club; 100% Paul Harris Fellow forms for your club/district on are strongly encouraged to register Club (one-time recognition); Top Three social media themselves or their fully controlled Per Capita in Annual Fund Giving and trust/society under the Foreign Con- 100% Paul Harris Society Club. z Set up a quality check on contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to Visit the Recognition page on tent: correct facts, grammar-wise, receive foreign funds directly from Rotary website at https://www.rotary. choice of video and pictures TRF and also to receive direct con- org/en/donate/recognition. z Create a content calendar for social tributions from international partners Rotary leaders can use the Club media or other foreign sources. Clubs that Foundation Banner Report to deter- z Set yearly goals and identify your are not registered under FCRA may mine whether their club will qualify audience experience a delay in grant payments for the annual recognition banners z For consistent outreach appoint based on INR funds available from listed above in the current Rotary year. one person for posting the contributions made within India. Consequently, grants will be placed Major Donor recognition in TRF z Make creatives which are in a queue and paid on a first-come, All individuals or couples whose mobile-friendly first-serve basis only, thus delaying combined giving has reached z Choose your channels wisely and the implementation of their projects. $10,000, regardless of the gift determine the frequency of posting Clubs may contact their chartered designation are being recognised z Identify the best time to post online accountant who will help to register as Major Donor by TRF. This rec- themselves with FCRA. You can also ognition level can be achieved only z Follow social media handles of directly browse through the FCRA through personal contributions and other NGOs, partners, RI handles, website https://fcraonline.nic.in/home/ not through matching contribution key local associations and devel- index.aspx. by another individual, club, district opment bodies. or any other entity or recognition z Invest in short-term social media Discover Rotary points. Major Donors can choose to campaigns — organic or paid A useful resource in the form of receive a crystal recognition piece z Align your social media calen- PowerPoint presentation is available and pin(s) commemorating the gift dar within your overall Public for club members to use when inter- at each new recognition level. Name Image plan acting/holding meetings with pro- recognition is not automatic and z You can engage Rotaractors to help spective members or non-members. engraving instruction for crystals you set up your social media team It provides an overview of Rotary, should be reported to RI staff. Major includes speaker notes, and is edita- Donors are listed in the Major Donor, z Track, measure and share your ble to include club-specific images or Arch Klumph Society and Bequest results information. The presentation covers Society Report. z Integrate everywhere.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 63

RISAOffice - February 2021.indd 63 1/28/2021 1:15:23 PM Inside, doing his daily sadhakam in the morning, is his grandfather Mysore Vasudevacharya, one of the elder statesmen of Carnatic music, a composer par excellence. Young Krishnamurti’s jaw drops in shock and delight as the Ravi Shankar third man in the car introduces the other two visitors as Ravi Shankar and Allah Rakha, already sitarist nonpareil rising stars in the firmament of Hindustani music, fresh from a concert in the city the previous V Ramnarayan evening. The mouth remains open for the rest of the morning as the sitar and tabla maestros not only show the greatest reverence t is a winter morning in stretch their arms and legs, before for the senior artist but sit down 1946. An Austin A40 stops heading towards the front door. before him to play a mellow in front of a typical middle The young man seated in the front morning raga after he expresses I class street house in Mysore, verandah jumps up startled out his regret that he had not tile-roofedtile-roofed in tthehe ooldld aarchitecturalrchitectural ooff hihiss newspaper-reanewspaper-readingding reverreverie.ie. knknownown of ttheirheir cconcert.oncert. stylestyle thatthat gigivesves youyou a clearclear view,view, if youyou standstand outsoutsideide tthehe ffrontront doordoor ofof tthehe bbackyard,ackyard, yyourour Pandit Ravi Shankar in his younger days. eyeseyes sweepingsweeping pastpast thethe three or four livingliving areas of thethe rresidenceesidence — aann authenticauthentic aagraharamgraharam dwelling.dwelling. Two young men,men, smartly dressed inin whitewhite kkurtaurta ppyjamas,yjamas, each carryingcarrying a musicamusicall instrument,instrument, ggetet ddownown anandd

64 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

P_Music and Melody_Ravi Shankar Sitarist Non Pareil.indd 64 02-02-2021 17:23:31 with George Harrison, famed guitarist of the Beatles.

looks and charisma, taken less the greatness of Indian music to seriously in his own country as the world. For long accused of Because of his vulnerable the practitioner of a traditional diluting Indian classical music looks and charisma, he was taken art than he yearned to be, but he to please Western audiences, the less seriously in his own country was wedded to his art. Few of maestro was deeply hurt by such India’s music greats had to handle charges. Yet there was no denying as the practitioner of a traditional as much adverse criticism as the purity of the sound produced art than he yearned to be. Ravi Shankar had to endure in a by his sitar, his brilliance as a lifetime of endeavour to project composer and creator of ragas,

The visit to the Vasudevacharya home was no surprise. Pandit Ravi Shankar had much love and respect for things and people south Indian — the ragas, rhythmic sophistication and rigour of Carnatic music, the great artists from Tiger Varadachariar and Veenai Dhanammal to M S Subbulakshmi and T Balasaraswati, even the young musicians he listened to regularly in the last two decades of his life when they performed at San Diego, his adopted California home. with his daughters True, he was a matinee idol Anoushka Shankar (L) among classical musicians, and and Norah Jones. perhaps because of his vulnerable

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 65

P_Music and Melody_Ravi Shankar Sitarist Non Pareil.indd 65 02-02-2021 17:23:34 At a concert accompanied by his daughter Anoushka.

his unparalleled eclecticism that famous dancer, taking his troupe, Khan. He did riyaz for 14 hours a took some of the finest ideas including his siblings, all over the day! Hindustani vocalist Lakshmi and attributes of south Indian West. Another brother Rajendra Shankar, Ravi’s brother Rajendra’s classical music to its north Indian was involved in theatre, and stored wife — taught and mentored in counterpart. his drama troupe’s musical instru- music by Ravi when illness forced Born in Varanasi on April ments at home. Ravi would play her to quit Bharatanatyam — once 7, 1920 as the youngest of four those in secrecy. said, “I’ve seen blood coming out brothers, Ravindra, named after Young Ravi survived the of his fingers.” Nobel laureate Tagore, hailed trauma of his father abandoning Ravi Shankar explained the from a privileged background. His his family, and his mother raising reason behind his drastic step. father, a bar-at-law, and a minister her sons on slender means — to “When I was a child, my mother in princely states, was an amateur experience happier times when called me chanchal, restless, my singer at local soirees, and there brother Uday Shankar became guru called me a butterfly. I’ve was plenty of music and dance a sensation in the West with his tried to harness that restlessness in the family. Elder brother Uday Indian dance troupe. Going at age in my search for the highest Shankar was to become a world nine to Paris, where he saw “too experience of shanta. Listeners much, too soon,” and amidst hectic found my music meditative, performance tours and revels with blissful, even healing. Maybe an Listeners found my music the glitterati, Ravi became an artist has to go through hell to acclaimed dancer in his brother’s create heaven for others.” meditative and blissful. Maybe Indian ballets. He was still shy at Ravi Shankar married an artist has to go through hell to twenty when he turned his back on Annapurna Devi, Allauddin create heaven for others. stardom to answer the call of the Khan’s daughter and gifted sitar, going from a life of comfort exponent of the surbahar, a Pandit Ravi Shankar to rural Maihar and gruelling les- string instrument akin to the sons from the great Baba Alauddin sitar. Surrounded by murmurs

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P_Music and Melody_Ravi Shankar Sitarist Non Pareil.indd 66 02-02-2021 17:23:37 seriousness. An episode during a to walk any further. Ravi Shankar 1950s tour of Brazil illustrates this. made three or four trips up and I was terrified to play Returning to their hotel from a down from then on, carrying the with Ravi. I felt I was in concert, his troupe, which included whole load solo, and finally ferried tabla wizard Allah Rakha, were his exhausted colleagues to their no way worthy. confronted by a power outage. room! He said to them, “Don’t you They had to climb the stairs to realise what a great thing we’ve Yehudi Menuhin their 14th floor room carrying sitar, done? We are in Rio de Janeiro, renowned classical violinist tanpura, tabla and other parapher- exhibiting our music to the Bra- nalia. Ravi Shankar walked briskly zilians and making them love it. up with the others trudging along It’s no small feat. All our troubles about Ravi Shankar’s alleged far behind, moaning and groaning. are minor. We’re taking our music resentment of his wife’s superior On the tenth floor, a couple of to every nook and corner of the talent, the marriage did not last them sat down, unable world, and that’s all that matters.” very long. Annapurna Devi retired A stout defender of Ravi from concert music and led the Shankar’s classicism, life of a recluse until her death in Lakshmi Shankar once October 2018. said, “His Beenkar When he went West again as a gharana came from sitarist in the 1950s, the audiences the dhrupad style. It were small and unappreciative of is not light, contrary Indian music. He gave it to them initially in small doses, educating Pandit Ravi them step by small step. Through Shankar countless lecdems at university and his wife Sukanya. campuses, he won them over with his natural charm and articula- tion. He put Indian music on the world map with his own concerts as well as collaborative efforts with some of the leading lights of Western music. Friend and collaborator Yehudi Menuhin, the renowned classical violinist confessed, “I was terrified to play with Ravi. I felt I was in no way worthy.” The likes of flautist Jean Paul Ramphal, conductor Andre Previn and composer Philip Glass felt they were privileged to work on original music the maestro composed. Beatle George Harrison took sitar lessons from him, made albums and toured with him, and edited and introduced his autobiography. The maestro approached his mission of propagating Indian classical music with utmost

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 67

P_Music and Melody_Ravi Shankar Sitarist Non Pareil.indd 67 02-02-2021 17:23:47 His iconic gurukula ‘Hemangana’, built in Varanasi in 1973–74, housed RIMPA, the Ravi Shankar Institute of Music and Performing Arts. There, 20 to 25 students from all over India annually learnt from Ravi Shankar who taught them through many media — including games he devised for their evening entertainment. In the morning, he was a hard taskmaster, a perfectionist. “Is this the man who laughed and joked with us last night?” the students would wonder. At an annual festival at Hemangana, eminent musicians and dancers performed, with Ravi Shankar’s concert providing the finale. The couple with acclaimed musician Sir Paul McCartney and The atmosphere of Hemangana Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. was fabulous with its aesthetically designed arches, student quarters, to all the criticism levelled against and its beautiful orchards. “I’ve his music. Even when he plays never experienced anything so Beatle George Harrison took a thumri or a gat, he is strictly clas- Indian,” a visiting Satyajit Ray sical. He admitted making some sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar, once said. Hemangana could not format changes to attract Western made albums and toured however be sustained beyond three audiences to our music. If he had years, because the restless spirit with him, and edited and not done that, it could have meant that he was, Ravi Shankar had to curtains for our music in the West.” introduced his autobiography. move on. Over decades of tireless When he passed away at age travel and varied performances, 92, there had been unresolved Ravi Shankar became one Indian music for All India Radio, questions over his father’s mys- of India’s most celebrated composed music for Indian and terious death, early sexual abuse, musicians. Awarded the Bharat international ballets and films his troubled relationship with son Ratna in 1999, he received some including Satyajit Ray’s Pather Shubhendra who died young, but 15 honorary doctorates, the Panchali, Godaan, Anuradha, Ravi Shankar had come to terms Ramon Magsayasay Award, two Gulzar’s Meera and Richard with the ebb and flow of his long Grammys, the Crystal Award Attenborough’s Gandhi, and and dramatic journey on earth. from Davos, the Fukuoka Grand with Ali Akbar Khan, kickstarted With the strong support of his Prize Award from Japan, and a whole new variety of Indian wife and anchor Sukanya and the countless other awards and classical music — the jugalbandi. joy that spotting young talent had honours. He played his music to He was a devoted guru who brought him through his many a great variety of audiences, from nurtured young musicians with group productions in the twilight of the knowledgeable audiences loving care no matter where they his life, he had achieved peace. of Varanasi and Pune, to wildly came from. Daughter Anoushka The writer is an author and cheering young fans at the from his second marriage was only former editor of Sruti magazine. Woodstock and Monterey Pop one of them, though he was some- music festivals. He orchestrated times accused of promoting her. Designed by Krishnapratheesh

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P_Music and Melody_Ravi Shankar Sitarist Non Pareil.indd 68 02-02-2021 17:23:50 Doing good with TRF help Helping children walk

Jaishree

hat happens when a team we were sure of our focus area,” says would cost `60,000–80,000 which is of orthopaedic surgeons Dr Sathishkumar, club president. unaffordable for the underprivileged. Wand physiotherapists get The club is working on a global But one of our club members Dr Abdul together? A slew of corrective surger- grant project with RC Colombo Salaam who owns the One Care Hospi- ies that will put little children back on Greater, RID 3220, Sri Lanka, and tals in Coimbatore has magnanimously their feet giving them a better quality TRF to enable physically-challenged volunteered to perform the surgery free of life. This was made possible by sur- children walk following surgery and for the most needy,” he says. The club geons Abdul Salaam and Karthikeyan, physiotherapy. The club had applied will take care of the basic costs and and physiotherapists Sathishkumar, for a global grant last year under post-operative expenses “which works Kartheeswaran and Madhanagopal — the leadership of its charter presi- out to at least `35,000 a surgery.” all members of a one-year-old club, RC dent Thamilselvan and TRF chair The beneficiaries are identified Coimbatore Meridian, RID 3201 — Srinivasan for facilitating the correc- through screening camps organised coming together. tive surgeries. Now with a GG sanction in various parts of the city with the “Basically we are from vari- of $36,000 and the club’s contribution support of the Differently-abled ous other Rotary clubs having come of $10,600, it aims to sponsor surger- Welfare Association. Around 70 chil- together to form this club and often ies for 75–100 children a year in and dren have been shortlisted from two we used to sponsor corrective surger- around the city. camps and 10 surgeries have been ies on request from various people. So “Normally hospitalisation, sur- performed so far. whenwhen we formedformed thithiss cclublub llastast MMarcharch gery, assassistiveistive ddevicesevices andand therapytherapy Patients from 11–18–1 years are ttreatedreated fforor dedeformitiesformities such as club RC CoimbatoreCoimbatore Meridian president Dr SSathishkumarathishkumar foot, bow legs and cucurvedr foot. “If aatt a ward where a babbabyy is beinbeingg treated for deformitdeformity.y. ccorrectedorrected at an early age they can walk as normallnormallyy as ppossible.os Unfor- ttunatelyunately most ooff tthehe villagers are unaware ooff tthehe correctcorrectivei treatment, ofoftenten saysayinging iitt is the curse of ggod.od. Nor ddoo they have the mmeanseans to undergo such treatmtreatment,”e he says, addiaddingng that mild to mmoderateod phys- icaicall deformity cacann be corrected ththroughr phys- iiotherapyot and witwithh the help of ssplintsplint but severe ddeformitieseform call for correccorrectiont in the soft tissue ssuch as mus- cclesles anandd tendons, and sometsometimesim bones.

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K_Helping children walk.indd 69 02-02-2021 17:08:53 was accosted by an official-looking stranger who demanded to see his Wordsworld ‘documents’. Intimidated by his demeanour and unfamiliar with local practice, Shauq obliged. In a trice, Of shikaras and the stranger made off with his wallet. By the time he could gather his wits heaven on earth and report the incident, Shauq’s bank account in Srinagar had been drained of all funds. Sandhya Rao When I saw Shafi Shauq’s name as translator, I went online and discovered something Amit Chaudhuri It’s not uncommon Kishore called Gul, Gulshan, Gulfam, had written in an Indian Express article originally written in Kashmiri and dated December 2, 2019, entitled ‘The for novels to find voice translated into English by the well- actual Shafi Shauq’: ‘Among those on the big and small known poet, Shafi Shauq. And there I met was a small, suited Kashmiri screens, but a TV serial hangs a tale that’s screaming to be poet called Shafi Shauq. The term shared. I had not heard of Shafi Shauq “Kashmiri poet” carried a mild becoming a novel? until I met him at the Frankfurt Book voltage. I was speechless for an instant, That’s surely unusual. Fair in 2006 when India was invited then said, “Hello!” Not that a Kashmiri to be the Guest of Honour. I was (and poet is an impossibility, but that Shafi still am) ashamed of my ignorance Shauq represented a concatenation ll these relations originate because his is a very powerful voice of impossibilities, to do with his from these houseboats of in Kashmir’s contemporary literary presence here, with a resolution to the A ours. Don’t you see how history. As a poet, fiction writer, problem being found, and peace ever many letters I receive? Letters come linguist and critic, he has written in being regained. I wanted to study him from far-off countries across the Kashmiri, English, Urdu and Hindi. closely and ask him for forgiveness. oceans, where I can never reach. Is I had the opportunity to listen to him He was diffident, as non-Anglophone there any corner of our own country reciting his poetry in Frankfurt. One of writers — especially poets — are. where we don’t have acquaintances? the pamphlets distributed there carried Kafka-like, he’d adopted the guise of All this is possible because of these this poem in English translation: normalcy — I mean his 20th-century houseboats, which your brothers want appearance, the black suit, meant to to sell.” This passionate and anguished Crossing a street sidestep attention. He was fair; his eyes voice belongs to Malla Khaliq, owner Crossing a street, I lower my head shone gently. He had lost hair, like a of three houseboats on Dal Lake in in case of danger. Sometimes, it’s Jewish intellectual.’ He went on, in the Srinagar, father of three grown sons something’s absence I sense — and a daughter, belonging to the nothing as tangible as rocket or gun. Hanji community of boating people in I must be careful. I cross the street, to Kashmir. For generations his family find the house where I’d expected it has lived on water and this is where he to be not there. I look around in case sees his children’s future as well. But it I’m in a new neighbourhood. Easy to is the 1990s and Kashmir is changing. lose your way. It’s easy to lose your And even though tourism is the bread way at home, to cross the street and and butter of this beautiful state’s never look back. I lower my head economy, and houseboats its beating instinctively to protect myself from heart, even that is changing. what I can’t see. These sentiments expressed One evening, soon after arriving by Malla Khaliq synopsise the in Frankfurt, Shafi Shauq was taking over 400-page-long novel by Pran a walk by the river Main when he

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P_Wordsworld_Of shikaras and heaven on earth_3.indd 70 02-02-2021 17:23:49 article, to refer to the very same wallet- the details from something that Pran Whichever Kashmir comes to snatching incident. Kishore himself wrote in an article your mind, the Kashmir of Hindi This is a digression, but it is a appended to the book (and published films, honeymoons and photo ops, or digression that connects; it shows online). The article is titled ‘The Dal the Kashmir of terrorism, militancy how people are attached to each formed an indelible imprint on my and separatism, it is nowhere near other in a myriad ways, how even a mind…’ Kishore was a well-known the whole story. Pran Kishore’s book disconnection is a connection because name in theatre circles but he nursed a gives readers a chance to peep into that there cannot be a split without a joining desire to write a novel because he felt inner world in which flesh and blood to begin with. I came to this novel late; books had a greater impact. His first people lead strenuous lives enmeshed my mother had read it at least a couple novel, Sheen Ta Vatapod, published in a web of relationships and events of years earlier, perhaps one of the in 1987, had received the Sahitya in a region of incredible beauty that last novels she read before she died. Akademi Award. He was all ready to has been under tremendous political, She had loved it; I could see it in the write his second. social and economic pressure for way her eyes shone when she returned For this he recalled a time in the uncountable numbers of years. He gets the book to me. ‘Very nice,’ she said, 1940s when he ‘rented a small boat as close to the life breath of Kashmiris adding that she loved reading about at the rate of one rupee per day from as he possibly can, eschewing along things she had known nothing about. the quay of my native place, Chinkral the way the many stereotypes and ‘And the people are so real,’ she said. Mohalla, in the city of Srinagar. misconceptions, preconceived notions So true, I think as I read. Gul Gulshan Taking my childhood friends along, and historical aberrations that have Gulfam is that rare book that elaborates I roved through the Maer Canal of the come our way over the years. on the ordinary lives and relationships old city and reached Gagribal in the But our story for this column of ordinary people engaged simply in Dal Lake. It was during this journey is not yet done because here, now, the business of eking out a living in that the Dal formed an indelible filmmakers Sunil Mehta and Prem the only way they know, in the only imprint on my mind and I took an Kishen make their entry. In Kashmir place they know. To those outside that interest in the dwellers of the Dal.’ to shoot their film Nai Shirvaani milieu, this is exotica, but to the Hanji A few years on, Pran Kishore had based on a Russian short story called people, this is life, another ‘India’ even the happy fortune of meeting Haji ‘The Overcoat’, they heard Pran if ‘India’ itself is ‘other’ for them. Abdul Samad Kotroo who owned a Kishore narrate to them the story of The extraordinary thing is that this chain of houseboats in the Dal. As Gul Gulshan Gulfam, and promptly novel was born as a television serial Kishore writes, ‘My interactions with purchased its broadcasting rights. telecast on Doordarshan. In recent this exceptional human being and Before long, the serial was out and times, there have been occasions when his family members inspired me to airing, its title song echoing in every films, particularly for children, have write about the lives of the boatmen Hindi-speaking home, with Parikshit been written up as novels. But Gul of the lake who have been mingling Sahni heading a wonderful team Gulshan Gulfam is something else, the sweat of their toil with the waters of actors and Ved Rahi directing. it’s so big that it’s worth recounting of the lake for generations. Being Muskurati subha ki aur gungunati a father figure, Kotroo Sahib was shaam ki, yeh kahani Gul ki hai, venerated by not only the boatmen Gulshan ki hai, Gulfam ki apparently but also the vegetable growers who went on to win the Best Title Song dwelt in the marshes around the lake. Award from the Radio, Television He had continued the tradition that his Producers’ and Advertisers’ father had set — of treating the tourists Association! who would often come to escape Shafi Shauq calls the novel the the maddening city life to stay in his ‘quintessential mahaakaaviya (prose houseboat, as his own kith. Similarly, epic) of contemporary Kashmir. Malla Khaliq is conscientious of his In following the lives of characters duties of making his guests feel at belonging to three successive home. This is how the seed of the generations of post-Independence novel Gul Gulshan Gulfam was sown Kashmir, and paying proportionate in my mind…’ attention to the actions and moral

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P_Wordsworld_Of shikaras and heaven on earth_3.indd 71 02-02-2021 17:23:50 choices of each individual living lake, deals a body blow to his a comment on Delhi. Hard to believe, under specific and sometimes grandfather. ‘Nisar Ahmed but this is what Rana Safvi tells us in limiting socio-economic is going to leave this house her book Shahjahanabad: The Living and cultural conditions, today and live on land,’ City of Old Delhi. These words are Gul Gulshan Gulfam he cries to his childhood inscribed in the Diwan-i-Khas at Red emerges as a novel at the friend, Narayan Joo. When Fort: Agar Firdaus bar ru-ye zamin ast cusp of Indian economic the latter urges him to / Hamin ast-o hamin ast-o hamin ast. liberalisation and Kashmiri understand that times Yet, despite the heavy militarisation, identity in flux.’ have changed, Khaliq there is little doubt that the beauty It’s a tremendously says, ‘It is easy to of the land and the people of this visual narrative, and we now lecture. But only the much maligned region will meet the understand why. There are suffering person knows expectations of this couplet. In the no chapters in the book, only a his pangs.’ And there’s suffering final analysis, that’s exactly what Gul tiny ink sketch of a shikara or boat, in large doses, as also happy events Gulshan Gulfam does, despite the indicating pauses in the telling, thus such as births and marriages. There are somewhat shoddy editing. For those reflecting the episodic nature of serials. wonderful descriptions of Srinagar: the more interested in the TV serial, do You see how the weather impacts majestic Zabarwan mountains rising take a look at Rayan Naqash’s article, the tourist season, and how tourism above the Dal lake, the different parts ‘Why tourists still look for ‘Gul is a mainstay. You see competition, of the lake each with its own character, Gulshan Gulfam’ when they visit the exploitation, the pull of traditional the network of houseboats and Dal lake in Srinagar’ in scroll.in. You practices and nuances of relationships. shikaras, the waterways, the Jhelum, must have guessed by now: these are You see the Khalistan trouble in the Mughal Gardens… the names of Malla Khaliq’s three neighbouring Punjab reducing footfalls The words ‘If there be paradise houseboats. into Kashmir. When Khaliq’s eldest (heaven) on earth, it is this, it is this, The columnist is a children’s grandson returns home from studying it is this’ generally ascribed to Hazrat writer and senior journalist. medicine in Jaipur, his decision to Amir Khusrau are widely believed to practice ‘on land’ as against on the describe Kashmir when in fact, they’re Designed by Krishnapratheesh

A cyclothon to promote cleanliness in Bhusawal

Team Rotary News

C Bhusawal Railcity, RID 3030, joined hands with the municipal R council of Bhusawal to organise a cyclothon to promote and create awareness on cleanliness under the theme, ‘Green Bhusawal, pollution-free Bhusawal’. Three rallies of 5, 10 and 20km were flagged off simultaneously. The event had 600 participants aged 4–70. They received a bag of goodies each which included a T-shirt, cap, mask, pen, diary, writing pad, keychain and a few other souvenirs. At the end of the event, the rallyists gathered together to take an oath to keep Bhusawal clean and green.

72 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

P_Wordsworld_Of shikaras and heaven on earth_3.indd 72 02-02-2021 17:23:52 RC Aadarsh Ahmedabad charters a club in Zambia Jaishree

PDG Ravi Devalia and DG Lucie Kasanga with members of RC Chingola Metro.

ave you ever known for copper mining. new members at the time priority and Bhavsar has come across an Bhavsar was distressed of installation, “making identified a manufacturer HIndian Rotary to see the poor medical it the fourth largest club who has agreed to give club sponsoring a club conditions prevailing in the district,” he says. pre- fabricated toilets for in a foreign country? there and floated an idea RC Aadarsh Ahmedabad `19,000 each against the Rotary Club of Aadarsh to his niece to put up a chartered the new club original cost of `26,000. Ahmedabad, RID multi-specialty hospital in October 2020. The “My club is coordinating 3054, Gujarat, just to help the people, as well momentum continued and with the African club to did that by chartering as start a Rotary club, the club now has 62 mem- send the toilets. We will RC Chingola Metro in promising all help from his bers — the third largest soon work out a plan to Zambia, RID 9210. own club. “She immedi- after RC Lilongwe with establish the hospital too,” “It all started when ately got into the act.” its 67 Rotarians. he says. I was coordinating with Devalia introduced Devalia is now DG Lucie Kasanga, PDG Ravi Devalia of RID Chetna to Musa Kasonka, working on membership RID 9210, is very 9210 for a medical mission a past president of RC retention. He is supporting happy with the club’s in Zambia a few years Lusaka Maluba, RID the club in various ways to development. Bhavsar back,” says Kapil Bhavsar, 9210, and in July 2020 keep the members engaged says: “When a community trainer for RC Aadarsh they went on a member- and their interest in Rotary gains a Rotary club, it Ahmedabad. Subsequently ship drive, says Bhavsar. alive. The two clubs are also gains a heart, and he met Devalia in May Kasonka became the char- planning to implement a group of caring men 2019 while visiting his ter president and Chetna, some joint service pro- and women who come niece Chetna Avadekar in the club secretary. In jects. Providing toilets in together to transform the Chingola, a city in Zambia three weeks, they got 53 and around Chingola is a area into a better place.”

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 73

RC Aadarsh Ahmedabad charters a club in Zambia - Feb 2021.indd 73 1/28/2021 1:33:46 PM Sewing machines distributed to underprivileged women Team Rotary News

C Burhanpur, RID 3040, helped the beneficiary had to make an initial members pitched in for those who R12 underprivileged women pro- payment of `1,250 and the balance were not able to pay the initial instal- cure sewing machines on instalment would be collected as `370 a month. ment,” said club president Rizwan basis with the aim to make them “Only if they pay for their machines Abbas, adding that the club had also financially strong and self-sufficient. the women will have a sense of own- provided 10 sewing machines last To get a machine under this project, ership and dignity. Some of our club month.

An online Rotary-CSR conclave

n online CSR presentations by company presented how Rotary is Ravishankar Dakoju, Aconclave on water, officials including E R making a difference in past president, Rotary sanitation and hygiene Ashok Kumar, president, the community through Bangalore Orchards, was hosted by EMGA Give India; Debraj S WASH. Rtn Pankaj Patel who has given the largest Suresh Hari, and his team Roy, regional CSR head, highligted Rotary’s part- individual pledge to TRF to provide an opportunity Sony India; and Deepak nership with Tata Tech- till date gave a prerecorded for Rotarians to interact Prabhu Matti, global head, nologies for a mega water video talk on why Rotary with the RISAO staff and employee volunteering harvesting project. “It was was his choice of giving. non-Rotary professionals. programme, Cognizant. a successful global grant EMGA J B Kamdar, Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty PDG Ramesh project achieved through RRFCs John Daniel and gave the inaugural address Aggarwal, member, meticulous planning and Lakkaraju Satyanarain part- on ‘TRF Connect’ and this Area of Focus-Gift involvement of clubs in the nered with Hari to make it was followed by a series of Initiative, TRF, crisply zone,” he said. a successful webinar.

74 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Sewing machines distributed to underprivileged women.indd 74 1/28/2021 1:34:30 PM District Wise TRF Contributions as on December 2020 (in US Dollars) District Annual PolioPlus Endowment Other Total EREY Donors EREY Number Fund Funds Funds Contributions (in numbers) % India 2981 37,517 3,571 10,923 0 52,011 173 3.5 2982 22,591 15,992 20,770 43,358 102,710 70 2.3 3000 23,575 15,896 20 8,700 48,191 48 0.9 3011 29,310 9,558 40,653 171,064 250,585 81 2.2 3012 10,706 2,480 0 8,532 21,718 46 1.3 3020 121,690 50,169 32,000 2,726 206,585 240 5.9 3030 18,221 2,284 21,243 128,275 170,024 63 1.2 3040 3,180 116 0 406 3,702 15 0.7 3053 9,733 2,593 0 92,289 104,615 28 1.0 3054 70,285 1,637 0 113,519 185,441 257 4.2 3060 38,125 (186) 32,641 56,375 126,955 669 15.3 3070 16,978 100 0 22,988 40,066 127 4.0 3080 42,053 12,083 0 (19,761) 34,376 88 2.7 3090 20,593 500 0 (736) 20,357 45 2.0 3100 43,392 252 0 4,224 47,868 150 6.7 3110 14,003 200 0 0 14,203 31 0.8 3120 1,055 1,769 0 (1,769) 1,055 3 0.1 3131 77,290 38,688 109,000 332,264 557,242 461 9.0 3132 13,759 2,582 0 963 17,305 42 1.3 3141 293,949 42,056 69,568 726,090 1,131,662 532 10.0 3142 147,612 7,472 101 (8,578) 146,607 393 12.3 3150 34,912 3,690 48,030 34,212 120,844 369 11.1 3160 10,075 6,951 16 0 17,042 33 1.3 3170 12,232 20,905 1,240 121,401 155,778 63 1.1 3181 25,453 2,775 0 7,050 35,278 95 2.8 3182 34,793 4,295 0 7,265 46,352 126 4.1 3190 45,356 35,012 25,000 112,074 217,442 412 8.2 3201 35,511 20,410 0 159,362 215,283 281 5.0 3202 26,887 19,295 8,468 20,272 74,923 99 1.8 3211 6,827 3,414 0 121,870 132,110 51 1.1 3212 13,691 32,054 14 108,733 154,492 18 0.4 3231 (249) 359 0 7,356 7,467 5 0.1 3232 17,160 33,242 2,000 361,364 413,766 108 1.9 3240 60,420 20,606 0 43,955 124,980 154 5.1 3250 9,179 713 0 93 9,986 138 3.7 3261 13,668 1,108 0 2,833 17,609 28 1.1 3262 23,710 2,500 0 0 26,211 68 1.9 3291 14,837 7,207 10,149 51,550 83,743 61 1.7 India Total 1,440,078 424,353 431,837 2,840,320 5,136,587 5,671 3.8 3220 Sri Lanka 69,460 17,130 26,000 15,015 127,605 165 8.7 3271 Pakistan 6,206 64,691 0 246,533 317,430 3 0.2 3272 Pakistan 39,367 10,131 0 1,168 50,666 171 10.2 3281 Bangladesh 119,573 5,445 29,000 150,549 304,567 361 5.1 3282 Bangladesh 45,434 5,707 0 7,770 58,911 91 2.2 3292 Nepal 114,934 9,063 0 188,061 312,058 1,226 24.8 South Asia Total 1,835,051 536,520 486,837 3,449,416 6,307,823 7,688 4.5 World Total 58,398,648 14,412,464 15,173,768 15,315,772 103,300,652 Source: RI South Asia Ofﬁce

TRF Details - February 2021.indd 75 1/28/2021 1:35:26 PM Health Flying to Ever Ever Land?

Bharat and Shalan Savur

hen you see Madhukar food, sleep and your mind…Then three months elongates telomeres (when Talwalkar’s strapping, nothing can trouble you.” they shorten, we age) in the body and Wathletic physique and hear actually makes cells 25 years younger. his strong, clear voice declare, ‘I’ve Fifty going on 25! For sure, these are Put in numbers — a 50-year-old being just completed 87 years of a wonder- exciting times. Things are changing able to gambol as a 25-year-old — it ful life,’ you are absolutely floored. faster than our pulse rate can cope. But sounds marvellous, doesn’t it? Then you watch him do calisthenics don’t let that daunt you. As the gritty effortlessly and… you’re speechless. ditty goes: Light in dim eyes: Even more hearten- He is the founder of the popular gym Don’t let anyone steal your spirit, ing is the great promise David Sinclair, Talwalkars. This renowned physical Let it soar and fly on high. professor of genetics at the Harvard culturist walks his talk! Don’t let anyone slow your progress Medical School, brings to the health As you stretch and touch the sky. table. Based on his team’s Milestone Never too old. “To change oneself is Dr Amir Hadanny from Israel’s anti-ageing treatment, Sinclair and his never too early and you’re never too Medical Centre tells us that while life- team have restored eyesight in mice. old,” he says. “Please take care today. If style improvements and exercise do help, “I’m excited about being able to reju- you’re young, start today, you’re fortu- the oxygen treatment they are working venate tissues that fail due to ageing nate. If you are elderly, you’re still for- on is even more effective. Dr Hadanny and disease, especially where there are tunate, start today. If you’re old, you’re and Dr Shai Efrati of the Tel Aviv Uni- no effective treatments, such as demen- still more fortunate, you’re wiser, start versity have found that administering tia… We hope to treat glaucoma in today,” he urges. “Just give years to oxygen at high pressure in a chamber for human patients in two years,” he says. fitness.” He exclaims, “what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength his body is capable of! Today, I’m in the best of health. My body has never complained about anything, my knees have never troubled me, my lower back has never troubled me. My heart is at its best. I’m a man of abundance!” He signs off with an inspirational and spirited, “Love your body! Take care of every centimetre of your body! Take care of your health, exercise,

What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength his body is capable of!

76 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_Health_Flying to Ever Ever Land.indd 76 02-02-2021 17:08:47 What exactly did they do? To cut a and… it sang! And it took my breath long story short, they injected OSK — away. Youth and health are elixirs of a mix of three “youth-storing” proteins — the spirit, surging with the promise into the retinal ganglion cells of mice and power of unknown forces. Now, Within 10 years, all these which had optic nerve deterioration 50 years later, I feel that same sense anti-ageing, anti-dying and the nerves re-grew “back towards of spirited hope, of a night cracking treatments to cost as much as the brain”: old cells transformed into its shell and day breaking its gold over the latest smartphone! young lively cells and dimmed eyes our horizon. saw the light brightening their world. In his book The power of your Andrew Huberman is not involved mind, Dr Joseph Murphy writes about directly with Sinclair’s research but has a gentleman coming up to him after been observing it keenly. A neurosci- his talk and saying, ‘I am 84 years of damaged cells, using stem cells and entist at the Stanford University School age. I operate every morning, visit so on. Within 10 years, cancer will of Medicine, he writes in Nature, “For patients in the afternoon, and I write for be curable and so will other diseases, decades it was argued that understand- medical and other scientific journals they state. And if we wonder if all this ing normal neural developmental pro- in the evening.’ Dr Murphy observes, will be terrifically expensive, designed cesses would one day lead to the tools “His attitude was that he was as use- only for the super rich, Cordeiro and to repair the aged or damaged brain… ful as he believed himself to be and as Wood have an answer even to that. Ini- (this) work makes it clear: that era has young as his thoughts. He said to me, tially, it would be expensive, but with now arrived.” ‘A person is as strong as he thinks he a competitive market, the price would It takes me back to another era… is, and as valuable as he thinks he is. If gradually decrease because the demand when I found myself in a world I’d I should pass on tomorrow, I will find would increase and benefit everyone. never seen before — a world blan- myself helping and curing people in the The two engineers expect all these keted in the silence of the snow in the next dimension, not with a surgeon’s anti-ageing, anti-dying treatments to valley of Kashmir. I disappeared into scalpel, but with mental and spiritual cost as much as the latest smartphone! its white, vast land and when I returned surgery.’ And Dr Murphy concludes, The fact is: all kinds of buttons to my senses, the silence inside stayed “This surgeon has not surrendered to are being pushed in our smartminds as advancing years. He knows that he is science rolls out earth-shaking cures immortal.” and solutions, even immortality. Will our finer human sensitivities die in Breath of immortality: Are we this technological advance or will it already on the threshold of the next be more refined versions of ourselves? dimension the surgeon is talking And yet, I can’t help but feel that our about? Is the next dimension right here ancient yogis did find such miracu- on earth? Are we not going to die? For lous cures in the herbs and purified genetic engineer Jose Luis Cordeiro air of the Himalayas. Will our myths and mathematician at the Cambridge of immortality dance with the truths University David Wood have written of tomorrow? Meanwhile, OSK, the The Death of Death, their scientific youth protein cocktail prances in our take on immortality. They expect laboratories, a disease-free life awaits ageing to be reversed and death to be us around the corner and right in front optional by 2045. “Humans will only of our eyes, we see the new becom- die in accidents, never of natural causes ing the norm. It’s like stepping into a or illness,” they say. time-tweaked programme. Weird, but With nanotechnology, they hope wonderful. to “print” in 3D the required body organs. It won’t be just about trans- The writers are authors of Fitness planting new organs, but also replacing for Life and Simply Spiritual – You unhealthy genes with healthy genes, Are Naturally Divine and teachers of dead cells with living ones, repairing the Fitness for Life programme.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 77

K_Health_Flying to Ever Ever Land.indd 77 02-02-2021 17:08:47 CLUB HOP

RC Aduthurai – RID 2981 RC Dewas – RID 3040

A heart and lung scree- ing camp was held Cataract sur- in association geries were with a drug done on firm. Club 62 elderly president patients Manoharan at a mega coordinated eye camp the camp which organised by benefitted over 300 the club. people. ECG, BP, and other tests were done.

RC Karambakudi – RID 3000 RC Ahmedabad Asmita – RID 3054

Tree plantation was On World done at a temple in AIDS Day, Veeradipatti vil- the club lage under the distributed leadership of protein club president powder to A Senthil. Club HIV positive member V M S children at the Veerappan coor- Civil Hospital, dinated the project. Gandhinagar.

RC Delhi West – RID 3011 RC Tarapur – RID 3060

The club distributed medical consum- Ration kits were ables and fruits distributed to worth `2 lakh to needy with Earth Saviours, support a home for the from the abandoned run Rama by Magsaysay Krishna Award winner Mission and Ravi Kalra. forest depart- ment officials.

78 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Club HOP - February 2021.indd 78 1/28/2021 2:46:39 PM CLUB HOP

RC Amritsar North – RID 3070 RC Khurja Shakti – RID 3100

UP Governor Anandi Ben Patel visited A washing the club and machine was interacted with donated to a the Rotarians. school for AG Sidharth the visually- Singhal pre- impaired girls. sented her a The members lapel pin on RI distributed theme. She invited snacks and juices to the club members for the students. an evening tea.

RC Roorkee – RID 3080 RC Kushinagar – RID 3120

A stall was set up by the club at the Polio Day was Gandhi Chowk, observed with Kasia, to collect Rotarians sparingly used giving polio warm clothes drops to and distribute immunise the the same to children. needy families in the neighbourhood.

RC Padampur – RID 3090 RC Bibwewadi Pune – RID 3131

A blood donation Under Project Ek camp was held Nishchay (A to mark the resolve), the martyrdom of club, in partner- Capt Navpal ship with Singh and 75 S G Analytics, units of blood donated grocery was collected. kits to 8,000 Sub- divisional migrant families in magistrate Subhash four months. Kumar took part.

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 79

Club HOP - February 2021.indd 79 1/28/2021 2:46:41 PM CLUB HOP

RC Barshi – RID 3132 RC Karkala – RID 3182

The club joined hands The club conducted with the Karkala assemblies in municipality to various schools set up a pipe for students of composting. Classes 9–10. Club presi- The Rotarians dent Rekha engaged the Upadhyaya students on created Rotary values and awareness different projects on converting are being planned household waste into in these schools. organic manure.

RC Ambernath East – RID 3142 RC Bangalore Vidyapeeta – RID 3190

Two electric geysers Daily essentials were were donated to distributed to 50 Nayachethana differently-abled Trust that people. Gover- takes care nor’s principal of differ- aide Sarjerao ently-abled Sawant was the persons. chief guest at Club presi- the event. dent Sandeep Nijagal coordinated the project.

RC Nipani – RID 3170 RC Coimbatore Satellite – RID 3201

Essay and drawing Club president competitions were Simon C K held for high donated face school students masks and on the eve of juice packs Global Hand- worth washing Day `1.5 lakh to create aware- to the ness on hygiene. corporation The contest drew commissioner good response. S K Jatavath.

80 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

Club HOP - February 2021.indd 80 1/28/2021 2:46:44 PM CLUB HOP

RC Rajapalayam – RID 3212 RC Raigad Steel City – RID 3261

A passenger waiting room worth `1 lakh was A digital class- constructed near room worth the Govern- `1.15 lakh was ment Paluram donated to a Dhanania government College for the school to convenience enhance class- of residents. room education. Dr Satish Agarwal played a key role in this project.

RC Vellore North – RID 3231 RC Balasore – RID 3262

A Rotary clock The club donated tower with a traf- tricycles and fic post costing crutches at `10 lakh was the SIHR & built in the LC Hospital, heart of the Karigiri, near town at Station Katpadi. Square.

RC Alandur – RID 3232 RC Belur – RID 3291

A polio awareness A two-day RYLA car rally was held was organised for in the presence 55 Rotaractors of councillor at Javadhu Susmita hills in which Bhattacharya, leadership DG Sudip sessions and Mukherjee and a forest walk PDG Ravi Sehgal. were the major highlights. Compiled by V Muthukumaran

FEBRUARY 2021 ROTARY NEWS 81

Club HOP - February 2021.indd 81 1/28/2021 2:46:46 PM A nostalgic trip to my alma mater TCA Srinivasa Raghavan

ast month a small group of us other than some new buildings to which left most of us hungry at all decided to visit our old col- accommodate new courses and more times because there were other things Llege in Delhi University, the students, the college had not changed like films to spend on. And of course academically venerable but very low much. We wondered at the small the new freedom meant we all smoked. profile Hindu College. It brought back classrooms that accommodated just A packet of 10 Charminar cigarettes some wonderful memories. As the 25 students. My class had started with cost 30 paise which meant `9 a month name suggests, the college was started 14 students in the first year and ended or a fourth of the total pocket money. in 1899 as a nationalist college. The with 10 when we graduated three years Hunger was a natural corollary. old college magazines contain a lot of later. The teaching was very cosy The hostel, however, now looks material on the events of the time. The because if the classes were small, the quite decrepit because the college is British frowned upon the college. tutorial groups were even smaller, 3–4 not allowed to increase fees. We used Our little group had joined the col- strong. Besides, most of the faculty to have single rooms but now as many lege and hostel in July 1967. Most of lived on the campus and sometimes as four students are crammed into one us were just 16 years old. Imagine, just the tutorials were held in their drawing room, and this was very sad to see. 16! A few were all of 17. The oldest room over tea and samosas. It was all I hope the hostel is soon rebuilt along lot were just 21, finishing their MA very civilised. the lines of the new, modern girls’ degree, but they made up barely 15 When you are 16 and have to live hostel. per cent of the total. The freshers were away from home along with 120 other The high point of our lives in col- ragged by the seniors for a month. boys, it changes you forever — mainly lege was the sports ground. It is a huge, Then on Aug 15 they were hosted to because you are always hungry. It’s grassy rectangle of about five acres. a grand dinner by them. Ragging was not that the hostel food was insuffi- It had the cricket pitch in the middle traumatic in the first week but you got cient. It was just that we were growing and the tennis courts on the side, which used to it because it was never vicious. up lads and very active. Pocket money have now gone. Cricket was the focal My best recollection of it is my having had to be conserved through the month, point and still is. In the late 1960s the to follow a senior around at all times college team had four regular Ranji with an ashtray in my hand so that he trophy and two Duleep trophy level could flick his cigarette ash into it. players. It has produced three or four I was not allowed to speak but let off The visit brought back some Test level players also since 1955. for class. The same senior also once I tried to play for the college team but wonderful memories for all took five freshers to a film. He paid for just wasn’t good enough! their tickets and sat in the row imme- of us — disappointments, Disappointments, successes, infat- diately behind them — and told them successes, infatuations, uations, follies, and, above all, friends they had to look back at him through- who matter more than any of the other out the film and then tell him the story follies, and, above all, things college had to offer, the visit over dinner. It was, for the most part, friends who matter. brought back some wonderful memo- harmless fun. ries for all of us. Well, 1967 is 54 years ago and No one talked much. But the it was nice to see that in that time, silence was eloquent.

82 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

K_LBW_A nostalgic trip to my alma mater.indd 82 02-02-2021 17:09:07 Leading from front

Institute convener RI director Kamal Sanghvi (R) and chair Sanjay Khemka.

P_Wrapper_Back_Back_Inside_February21_3_web.indd 83 03-02-2021 11:59:12 Regn. No. TN/CCN/360/2021-2023 Total number of pages in this monthly Licensed to post WPP No.TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP 431/21-23 issue, including cover, 84. Price: `35 Registered with Registrar of News Papers for India 3880/57 Rotary News Published on the ﬁrst week of every month Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat Class of 2021–22 DGEs with RIPE Shekhar Mehta and Rashi, RI Director Bharat Pandya, Madhavi, RI Director Kamal Sanghvi, TRF Trustee DGEs with RIPE Shekhar Mehta and Rashi, RI Director Bharat Pandya, Madhavi, Kamal Sanghvi, TRF Trustee PRID Manoj Desai, PDG Ranjan Dhingra and Vinita, S Ventakesh, A Amita, RIDE RIDE Mahesh Kotbagi, Gulam Vahanvaty, K Ruby. PDG T

P_Wrapper_Back_Back_Inside_February21_3_web.indd 84 03-02-2021 11:59:09