Dear Fellow Rotarians,

Transcription

1 Vol. No. 44 Issue No. 11, May 2012 For Private Circulation R. I. President Kalyan Banerjee District Governor Vijay Jalan Club President Kersi Hilloo President's Address Dear Fellow Rotarians, The year is fast slipping away. However, Mehli and I are happy to advise that under the stewardship of Vishnubhai and the Finance Committee, we have a surplus in both our Trust and Club accounts. This is after providing reasonably for the needs and demands of all our chairmen who have been carrying out such fantastic projects during the year. At the last Finance Committee meeting, we were even able to find an additional R3,00,000 to be allocated for the construction of the Vocational Training Centre at Baste village. This amount, with additional external donations that we expect to come in, will help in constructing the building on the land that has already been donated. This will be followed by an application for a Global Grant to equip the Centre. All this will satisfactorily round off our community development in the area, which started with the Watershed Development project. March also saw the culmination of one of our District Grant projects (in collaboration with several European Clubs), wherein we distributed mobility aids to 250 disabled persons at NASEOH. The other international projects are going from strength to strength; but, I am extremely sad to inform you that Arrow Sinha Roy (who has, for the longest time, been the chief pillar of some of the Club's many activities) is suffering from heart problems and can no longer be active in field projects. He has, however, taken steps to groom his successors and will continue in the role of a mentor. Thank you all for your continuing support. - Kersi Hilloo May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 1

2 Celebrations CCC&B Rtn. PP Om Degan, Rtn. PP Lalit Goculdas, Rtn. Bhagwan Kataria and Rtn. PP Tilak Mehta Rtn. Kishor Jhaveri, Rtn. Gaurav Kapadia, Rtn. Narendra Mohatta, Rtn. PP Anil Ambo and Rtn. PP Atul Premnarayan Rtn. Sunil Agrawal with Rtn. PP Anil Kamath Rtn. Nargis Wadia, Rtn. Bhagwan Kataria and Rtn. PP Atul Premnarayan R/Ann Rupande Parekh, R/Ann Radha and Rtn. PP Lalit Goculdas, Rtn. Kishor Jhaveri, Rtn. Manoj Jalan, Rtn. R.P. Anand and Rtn. Prasanna Bhagat Rtn. Vicky and R/Ann Sapna Punjabi with R/Ann Arati and Rtn. Sunil Agrawal Rtn. Satya Prakash Agarwal, Rtn. PP Mohan Lalvani, Rtn. Krishan Khanna and Rtn. Sunil Agrawal Rtn. R.P. Anand with Rtn. Prasanna Bhagat R/Ann Sapna Punjabi, Rtn. Robert with R/Ann Cathrin Lenzen and Rtn. PP Mohan Lalvani R/Ann Avani Vora and Rtn. Nargis Wadia 2 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

3 Celebrations R/Ann Avani Vora, Rtn. Nargis Wadia, Rtn. PP Atul Premnarayan, Rtn. PP Sam Daruwala and Rtn. Dr. Varsha Vadera Rtn. Nargis Wadia, Rtn. Kiran Shah, Rtn. PP Mohan Lalvani and Rtn. Bhagwan Kataria R/Ann Nazneen Patel and Rtns. Sonali Jalan and Prasanna Bhagat with a guest R/Ann Sapna Punjabi and Rtn. Robert Lenzen Rtn. Praful Sheth, Rtn. Harshad Vora, R/Ann Taru Sheth and R/Ann Jyotika Premnarayan Rtn. PP Sam Daruwala and R/Ann Radha Goculdas with a guest R/Ann Nazneen Patel with Rtn. Manoj and R/Ann Sonali Jalan Rtn. Dr. Varsha Vadera, Rtn. PP Tilak and Rtn. Ashok Mehta, R/Ann Avani Vora, R/Ann Radha Goculdas and a guest Rtn. PP Satya Bhushan Anand, Rtn. PP Mohan Lalvani, Rtn. Ghansham Dembla, Rtn. Vicky Punjabi, Rtn. PP Tilak Mehta, Rtn. Kishor Jhaveri and Rtn. Manoj Jalan Rtn. PP Sam Daruwala, Rtn. PP Om Degan, Rtn. R.P. Anand, Rtn. PP Satya Bhushan Anand and Rtn. Manoj Jalan May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 3

4 Tête-à-tête Over Generations It was indeed an enriching experience for me to meet Dr. B.R. Barwale and Mr. Raju Barwale. There were many experiences in store for Dr. Barwale here, including a stint in jail for 10 months. By contrast, Mr. Raju Barwale had a secure environment during his early years. He went to boarding school in Nasik. Much pampered being the only brother of five sisters his grandmother brought him back home to Jalna after he developed typhoid while in school. (L to R): Shri Sharad Pawarji, Dr. B.R. Barwale and Shri Rajendra Mishra The Early Years Dr. B.R. Barwale was born in Hingoli, Maharashtra, on a very auspicious day Ganesh Chaturthi. He went to school in Jalna, where he spent his growing up years. Dr. Barwale was also involved in India s freedom movement. He revealed an interesting anecdote: the headmaster wished to expel him for being involved with the freedom movement, but a young Dr. Barwale managed to convince his headmaster that he was an obedient student who performed well in school and what he did outside the school shouldn t concern them. After all, Azadi hamara janm siddh adhikar hai, he believes. Dr. Barwale later went to Nizam College in Hyderabad. He got involved with the freedom movement in Hyderabad as well, which led to its annexation to the Indian Union. Setting up of MAHYCO (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co Ltd.) Being from an agricultural family, Dr. Barwale started farming; first bhindi (ladies' fingers), which was followed by maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, etc. However, the turning point came with the Green Revolution, and the association with the Rockefeller Foundation in the country. (L to R): Shri R.V. Mundada, Dr. S.S. Badrinath, Dr. B.R. Barwale, Shri Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC and Shri Ram Bhogale Established in 1964, MAHYCO markets approximately 200 hybrids in 35 crop species including cereals, oilseeds, fibre and vegetables. MAHYCO is indeed a leader in the Indian seed industry and is India s pioneer private sector seed company. (L to R): Shri Avnikar; Shri C. Subramanium, Hon'ble Minister of Food & Agriculture, Govt. of India; along with Mr. Bongirwar, Divisional Commissioner, Aurangabad; Dr. B.R. Barwale and Shri Sakharam Pant Patil, Chairman, Jilla Parishad, Aurangabad Mr. Raju Barwale, Managing Director of MAHYCO, very interestingly mentioned that while MAHYCO is a success story, in the agricultural sector, India has not grown to its full potential, primarily due to low productivity and lack of farmers' education on application of the latest technology. The Awards For Dr. B.R. Barwale, a doyen of the Indian seed 4 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

5 Tête-à-tête industry, the awards and recognition came from various organisations. He won the Marathi Vigyan Parishad Award in 1978, the World Food Prize in 1998 (the World Food Prize is considered to be the Nobel Prize in Agriculture) and the Padma Bhushan in The Honorary Doctorate of Science was conferred upon him by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Contribution to Society The Barwale Foundation promotes activities related to agriculture (research, education, medical care, etc.). Dr. Barwale has taken rapid strides in building institutions to help the community in Jalna. These include the Badrinarayan Barwale College, Golden Jubilee School and Shri Ganapati Netralaya a state-of-the-art eye hospital with in-house ophthalmologists. Dr. B.R. Barwale and Mr. Raju Barwale are closely associated with an eye hospital called Sankara Nethralaya in Chennai, and both have also been the trustees of the hospital for the last several years. Rotary Club activities An active Rotarian and Past President of Rotary Club of Jalna, Dr. Barwale is currently a member of our very own Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town. He supports some great community service initiatives such as the Plastic Surgery Camp under the leadership of Rtn. Dr. Anil Tibrewala. This is an outstanding initiative and is carried out annually. Dr. Barwale is of the opinion that the Rotary Club is a great platform for community service and this should be the key focus area. Mr. Raju Barwale feels that every Rotary Club should analyse the needs in its surrounding areas and carry out projects accordingly. An interesting fact is that we have three generations of the Barwale family as our Mid-Towners, since Dr. Deepak Garg is also a member. Hobbies Dr. Barwale enjoys good cinema, meaningful plays and sports. Mr. Raju Barwale enjoys music and sports. He is a student of classical music and also plays badminton. Family life Dr. Barwale is married to Gomati Devi and the couple are blessed with five daughters and one son. Mr. Raju Barwale is married to Sushma and has two sons. Both Dr. B.R. Barwale and Mr. Raju Barwale lay strong emphasis on the role of the family. They believe that children need a good upbringing, and that the family (L to R): Dr. B.R. Barwale; Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Leader of Indian Green Revolution; Shri Rajesh Tope, Hon'ble Minister of State, Govt. of Maharashtra; Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel Laureate, Leader of Worldwide Green Revolution; and Shri Balasaheb Thorat, Hon'ble Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of Maharashtra needs to inculcate values by practising them as well. Children need to be given a sense of direction. Imbibing discipline and focusing on education is crucial. Message to the youth Dr. Barwale: The youth have a lot of opportunities today; they have the maximum facilities but they seem too self-centred. Instead, they should try and contribute to society. Mr. Raju Barwale: The youth today have greater exposure and better education. It's as if they want to conquer the world. On religion Dr. Barwale: The importance of religion is to teach us good values and make us better human beings, hard working and progressive. Mr. Raju Barwale: Religion is important and needs to be practised correctly, not exploited. There are a lot of values in our ancient teachings, and if we imbibe them, we can lead a better life. The Future of India Dr. Barwale: I am a great believer in the bright future of India. Mr. Raju Barwale: We are a nation with rich resources and talented manpower. If channelised well, India can be a very progressive nation. On their website, I read, A better world is the responsibility of all. At the end of the interview, I felt convinced that Dr. B.R. Barwale and his family have indeed contributed greatly to our society. r Interviewed by Rtn. Prasanna Bhagat May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 5

6 Projects Mobile and Independent Three hundred and seventy-six physically challenged persons in the rural areas and the suburbs of Mumbai were able to regain mobility thanks to the Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town s District Grant project. Rtn. PP Arrow presenting mobility aids as Pres. Elect R.P. Anand and Rtn. Ashwin Shah look on at NASEOH We feel privileged to have been able to help so many persons from the economically backward segment of our population. For many of them, being independent means that they can look for jobs or ply some trade that will help them earn an income. This way, they won t even feel as if they are a burden on their family. So, we help restore their dignity and enable them to become proud, independent citizens. This District Grant project was worth $24,000. Credit for getting it started goes to Rtn. PP Dr. Jorge Grossman of RC Pullach-Isartal. We have received sponsorship from this Munich club for a number of projects in the past. But it was during Dr. Grossman s visit to India in 2010 (to hand over a new school bus to Bal Asha Ghar ) that he managed to include a trip to NASEOH in his busy Pres. Elect R.P. Anand handing over a mobility aid at Wada 6 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

7 Projects Rtn. Gaurav Kapadia handing over a mobility aid Large range of mobility aids were given out at the NASEOH distribution camp Rtn. Jamsheed Patel and a young patient schedule. He was greatly impressed by what he saw. So he contacted me and offered a $5,000 sponsorship for a project on mobility aids. Then, Rtn. Bernard Steinrueke gave us the welcome news that his old club, RC Berlin- Nord, was also keen to sponsor such a project. Soon, we became the first club in District 3140 to have Non-Pilot District clubs participating with a 'Pilot District' Club (RCBMT) in a District Grant activity with RC West Derby (UK); RC Vichy (France) and RC Rimini (Italy) also joining in. Added to all club contributions was a donation of R1,75,000 from Fuchs Petrolub (courtesy our President) and $6,000 from our own District The first camps were held in Ambernath. This was followed by the Selection Camp at Wada (tribal town in Thane District), which was attended by IPP Hans Michael of RC Berlin-Nord and his spouse. On February 19, 2012, the Distribution Camp was held again at Wada along with a repeat of the Physiotherapy clinic organised by the NASEOH staff. Finally, on March 22, Rtn. Yogesh Pandya handing over a tri-wheeler at Wada 2012, we organised the biggest ever distribution camp at the NASEOH premises for about 220 physically challenged persons from the suburbs. As per our objective, we provided replacement aids to a number of patients who had outgrown the ones provided earlier. The International Projects Committee is thankful for the support provided by President Kersi and First Lady Binaifer; Pres. Elect R.P. Anand; and Rtns. Ashwin Shah, Munna Mitha, Gaurav Kapadia, Anil Ambo and Jamsheed Patel. r Text: Rtn. PP Arrow Sinha Roy; Photographs: Rtn. Yogesh Pandya; NASEOH) May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 7

8 Projects Lab-wise The Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town provided laboratory equipment and teaching aids for two secondary schools in Potkhal and Baste villages, thereby making it possible for the villages to avail of wonderful educational facilities. MAHADEV PAPER CORPORATION Office 103-B, MITTAL COURT, NARIMAN POINT, MUMBAI , MAHARASHTRA. Telephone: Telefax: Branch Office 609, Mahakant, Near V.S. Hospital, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad GUJARAT Telephone: / Telefax: Under MG #71045 Nutrition, education and adult literacy drive for Potkhal/Baste villages our Club s International Projects Committee continues to provide much-needed inputs for the village communities. Thanks to RC Denver LoDo and RC Parker (District 5450, Colorado), we have already provided writing desks and furniture, library books and basic teaching aids to the schools. The Club has also started adult literacy classes with the help of solar lighting and we are carrying on with the year-long glass of milk a day project for over 450 preschool as well as school-going kids. The Club also plans to provide laboratory equipment and teaching aids for the higher classes. As the school teachers usually find it quite difficult to verbalise what they need, Rtn. Yogesh Pandya volunteered to do research among the suppliers of such equipment in Mumbai. Thereafter, he prepared a shortlist of the essentials. On March 31, 2012, accompanied by Rtn. Dinyar Jamshedji, he handed over the equipment, on the Club s behalf, to representatives of both the schools. This initiative will indeed be a huge boon in teaching methods, especially in subjects such as science. With such facilities at their disposal, the villagers can learn a lot and make the most of their education. r PP Rtn. Arrow Sinha Roy 8 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

9 Inner Wheel Activities Galore The Inner Wheel Club, active as ever, has undertaken several projects. Here are the details... 1) Dyslexia Hi-Tech Project: On March 28, 2012, at the Maharashtra Dyslexia Association (MDA), Parel, we donated R50,000 for electronic equipment such as a high resolution video camera, two still cameras, a tripod, a boom box and a laser printer. This will be utilised for web-enabled remedial education, tests for students with learning disabilities and teachers' training at their three centres. Research has proved that dyslexic children with learning disabilities are often more technologically inclined. The MDA is confident that with the use of these gadgets, the students will be able to discover their true potential. Recording the teaching sessions of the trainees is one of the requirements of the Dyslexia Therapist Training Program that they are running in conjunction with the Multisensory Structured Language Training Institute in New Mexico. For the therapists-in-training, recording the sessions with students is essential for their assessment for the US certification. Aarti, Fatima, Madhuri, Meryum, Ashok and her daughter-in-law Ruchi attended the project. Dyslexia Project: Madhuri, Ruchi, Ashok, Kate, Aarti, Meryum and Fatima 2) Educational support at SL & SS Girls High School: On March 15, 2012, we donated R54,000 for coaching Class X students for the current academic year. This project has been ongoing since the last seven years, and has brought about great improvement in the school s SSC results. We hope this year, the students do even better than the previous years. 3) Help to Seva Sadan: On April 5, 2012, at Seva Sadan Society, an institution which provides shelter, education, vocational training and employment opportunities to underprivileged girls and destitute women, we donated 15 fans for the dormitory and hostel rooms, costing R25,000. We also distributed new clothes and purses worth R12,000 to the working women. Ashok, Aarti, Fatima and Kirti attended the project. Dyslexia Project: Ashok, Aarti and Ruchi with Kate, President, MDA General Body Meetings: During the meeting in March, we celebrated Holi. The 46 members present at the Breach Candy Club enjoyed the beautiful, traditional Holi songs sung by Suman Kumar. At the meeting in April, Mrs. Urmila Zutshi gave a very useful and interesting talk on 'Selection of Healthy Cooking Oil'. An eventful month indeed! r Contributed by Ashok Mehta President IWC of Bombay Mid-Town Talk on Cooking Oil Selection: Pushpa, Usha, Saumyalatha, Mrs. Zutshi, Meena and Aruna May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 9

10 Special Meetings Feature Electronics and Eye Care Rtn. Dr. Deepak Garg gave an enlightening talk on eye care, especially for children. He also busted some popular myths. Read on to find out what they are Dr. Garg specialises in paediatric ophthalmology and has his own hospital called Eye Solutions. It is one of the largest hospitals in Mumbai and has a team of 10 doctors from different super specialities working together. Dr. Garg started his presentation by assuring the audience that none of the modern electronic gadgets damage the eyes, however prolonged their use. Computers, ipads, notebooks, etc. can strain the eyes and tire them, but a good night s rest can overcome this and there is no permanent damage. Do today s children need glasses at an early age because of this strain? This is not true, says Dr. Garg. The reason you see many more school children wearing glasses is because today, parents have become more conscious about caring for their children s eyes and so, they get their eyes tested early on. Children themselves do not always complain about poor vision, as even if one eye is weak, the other one makes up for it. It only comes to the parents attention when the problem becomes marked. An infant is not born with perfect vision and only with exposure to light does eyesight develop. The first six years are very important to correct a lazy eye or a squint. Lack of eye exercises result in a lazy eye. The treatment entails forcing the use of that eye by closing the good eye for a few hours every day. This defect must be corrected within the first six years of childhood. It s a heart-rending statistic that about 85 per cent of the 4,00,000 blind children in India could have been saved by treatment at the right time. Dr. Garg is also the co-director of DEKHON (Drishti Eye Care Hospital Network). The first centre was inaugurated on March 23, This project will help 15 million people by the end of Here are some important things to keep in mind regarding eye care: How frequently should one get one's eyes checked? Once a year for those over the ages of At what age should contact lenses be used? Although contact lenses can be worn at any age, they are not advised for children since they need to be handled very hygienically and carefully in order to avoid infection and damage. r Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Speaker: Dr. Deepak Garg Subject: Do electronic gadgets damage children s eyes? Introduced by: PP Rtn. Dr. Kirit Mody Vote of Thanks: Rtn. Sucharita R. Hegde Reported by Rtn. Nargis Wadia Cataract, when detected in a child, requires immediate attention; it must be examined and corrected soon after birth, otherwise, it can cause loss of eyesight. Premature babies must be examined and treated by a retinal ophthalmologist in the first four months, as infants can be prone to retinal diseases at that age. In the olden days, the orthodox believed that a squint brought good luck. The binocularity caused by a squint causes problems regarding perception of depth, causing blurred vision. About 85 per cent of squints can be treated with surgery, and some can be corrected by wearing glasses regularly. Red eyes in children are caused by allergies and unhygienic habits. These can, and in fact must be cured by medication. Rtn. Dr. Deepak Garg busts some eye care-related myths 10 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

11 Meetings Brand Talk Are you brand-worthy? Suneel Agarwal is a brand architect, business strategy consultant, business coach and serial entrepreneur. He conducts workshops and sessions on branding, leadership, team building and motivation. With more than 25 years of experience, he has created successful service-oriented businesses and cultivated strong brands including Johnson&Johnson, Castrol, Dunlop and ITC, amongst others. He has conducted sessions for various age groups from students to young adults to top management. Mr. Agarwal referred to himself as the lullaby speaker, as most post-lunch speakers have the daunting task of staving off the audience s desire for a nap after a hearty lunch! He succeeded in keeping the audience awake and interested by conducting a very interactive session. Given the audience s familiarity with the subject, there was enthusiastic response. After receiving a dozen definitions of what brands and branding mean, Mr. Agarwal elucidated as follows: A brand encapsulates the qualities a product or service wishes to project to the users. The success or failure of the brand depends on its ability to live up to the qualities projected. These qualities must be relevant and meaningful to that particular set of users/target audience for whom the communication is intended, and not what the manufacturer wishes it to be. Brand building takes time; the brand grows in stature and becomes a household name after years of sustained exposure of the right kind It s not something you can create overnight! A brand needs to be nurtured and protected. There are several me-toos out there, waiting to imitate a brand once it becomes popular. A brand s promise needs to be carefully crafted. Over-promising can lead to consumer dissatisfaction and under-promising will sell the product short. Perceptions of the brand vary dramatically, depending on the varied usage habits of a person. While some may have implicit faith and trust in a brand, others, who have had an unfavourable experience, may think poorly of it. It s impossible to be universally appreciated. Hence, you need to define your target and then ensure that you live up to your reputation. Mr. Agarwal ended his talk by saying that a brand is three dimensional, thereby inferring that it has a living, breathing life, all its own! r Date: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 Speaker: Suneel Agarwal Subject: The importance of branding Introduction: Rtn. Sucharita R. Hegde Vote of thanks: Rtn.Vaibhav Sanghi Reported by Rtn. Nargis Wadia May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 11

12 Meetings Ozone Benefits We all know about the ozone layer. But have you heard about ozone therapy? Dr. Mili Shah explains... Ozone therapy is not something most people would have heard about. To the lay person, it sounds like some kind of futuristic alternative therapy. However, after attending Dr. Mili Shah s presentation, it is obvious that it is gaining greater recognition amongst mainstream medicine. It was very interesting to hear about the benefits of this therapy, which sounds like the solution to most of our ailments! Dr. Shah has been practising Homeopathy for the last 15 years, but started her ozone practice in She handled the Ozone Clinic at Kote Hindu Stree Mandal, which was the only place that catered to all the procedures of ozone therapy under one roof. Currently, she works for Bisleri, and is actively promoting the benefits of ozone among the general public as well as doctors. So far, Dr. Shah has trained 209 doctors for ozone therapy. Her goal is to make the treatment holistic and simple for the common man. Ozone therapy, in a nutshell, means providing oxygen to the body. Although we breathe oxygen naturally, due to environmental pollution we now have lower levels of oxygen in our bodies. This results in oxidative stress, and free radicals overwhelm the body, leading to disease. When ozone therapy is administered, the ozone is converted to oxygen in the body, and carried around the body through the main vein which carries blood the portal vein. It helps in virtually any type of illness by rejuvenating and detoxifying the body, and fighting infections. Added to this, it is a very safe, natural and low-cost therapy. The only downside is Speaker Dr. Mili Shah Introduced by Sucharita R. Hegde that since ozone cannot be inhaled, the best way of administering it is through rectal insufflation, which many people find uncomfortable. It can also be given as injections, but that is not the best way. As of now, it is considered as alternative therapy, but any doctor can use it, along with conventional therapy. Ozone has been particularly helpful as a cancer supportive therapy, and is successful for backaches, liver detoxification, osteoarthritis of knee joints, and stomach disorders. It certainly deserves to be taken seriously, and perhaps to be incorporated into the mainstream in the near future. r (L to R): Dr. Mili Shah, Rtn. Pres. Kersi Hilloo, Manika Krishnamurti, Munna & Rtn. PP Lalit Goculdas Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 Speaker: Dr. Mili Shah Subject: Ozone therapy Introduction: Rtn. Sucharita R. Hegde Vote of Thanks: Rtn. Dr. Anil Kamath Reported by R/Ann Manika Krishnamurti 12 I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

13 Profile Polio Summit 2012 India taken off the list of polio-endemic nations February 25, 2O12, was a historic day for lndia and for Rotarians in India, when the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of lndia, Mr. Gulam Nabi Azad read out the letter from WHO informing that lndia has been removed from the list of polio-endemic countries. The wild poliovirus has been totally eliminated from the environment. The disease had paralysed thousands of children every year for several decades. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was the chief guest on that occasion, said that the real credit should go to the 23 lakh volunteers who repeatedly vaccinated the children year after year even in the remotest areas. For Past RI President Rajendra K. Saboo, this was a day that he had been working towards for many years. Like him, all the senior leaders of Rotary in India, who have been tirelessly working for polio eradication, were able to rejoice at the singular achievement. The IPPC team led by PDG Deepak Kapur were a happy lot. RI President Kalyan Banerjee had spent two New Year's days in the polio affected areas earlier and was overwhelmed by the fact that during his year of service as the President, his motherland has been able to stay polio-free for one full year. TRF Chair Bill Boyd, IPPC Chair Bob Scott and a host of other Rotarians from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria and Afghanistan lauded the spectacular achievement of India. The Government of India has put in place an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan across the country. Emphasising the need for a better public-private partnership in the delivery of healthcare system, the Prime Minister said that we should accelerate our efforts to achieve the polio-free status at the end of the next two years. Now, to ensure a polio-free India, we require two more years of very stringent vigilance in every nook and corner of the country. Rotarians around the world, and all those who have supported us so far, expect this from us. r Contributed by Ashok Mahajan TRF Trustee & IPPC member; reprinted from Reach Thoughts from Within! A One-Woman Show Art is the perfect means of expression. An artist can tell an entire story with just one picture; in that sense, one person can narrate entire volumes through Art. And that is just what artist Reena Patel did she s a one-woman show. In mid March, Reena Patel, daughter of Rtn. Rajen Patel, held her fifth successful art show, to much acclaim. Pictured here is the artist with her work. Hers is a boldly colourful palette, which brings her work to life. This is what the artist has to say: Basically, I am in my father, Rajen Patel's business, but since childhood I have always been interested in Art. After completing my education, I started painting as a hobby. I do oil paintings and I have not had any formal training in Art. I normally paint ganpatis, horses, abstracts, land- and sea-scapes. I have had five exhibitions so far, for which I have received a very good response and people have appreciated my work. r May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 13

14 " Notices The RI Exchange Rate for the month of May is going to be R51.50 per USD. Till April 30, the Exchange rate is R50 per USD. So kindly make use of this opportunity and hurry up with your contribution. All PHF/PHSM, Major Donors and Paul Harris Society Members who have committed and are yet to make their payment are requested to do so at the earliest and avail the benefits of the Lowest Exchange Rate. "The ups and downs in life are also very important to keep us going, because a straight line, even in an E.C.G. means we are not alive." Ratan Tata The Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town has a new member! Kindly cut along the dotted lines (given along side) and paste the slip in your handbook. Hegde, Sucharita Ramcrishna Class Address : Steel Equipment Mfg. : Fouress Engg. (I) Ltd., Mahalaxmi Chambers, 22 B. Desai Road, Mumbai Residence : 52, Suraiya Apts., Pochkhanawala Road, Worli, Mumbai Phones : Off. : Resi. : Fax : Mobile : srh@fouressindia.com Birthday : 16 September, 1958 Non-Vegetarian Joined : March I Mid-Town Musings I May 2012

15 Humour May 2012 I Mid-Town Musings I 15

16 Milestones - May ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY MID-TOWN Birthdays OFFICE BEARERS President Imm. Past President Vice President and Pres. Elect Hon. Secretary Jt. Hon. Secretary Hon. Treasurer Sergeant at Arms : Kersi Hilloo : Bipin Jain : R.P. Anand : James Brunner : Manoj Jalan : Mehli R. Cama : Munna Mitha 1 MAY PP Bipin Jain 1 MAY PP Mohan Shahani 4 MAY Jagdish Saxena 6 MAY Dr. Anil Tibrewala 6 MAY Burjor Nariman DIRECTORS Gaurav Kapadia, Robert Lenzen, Anil Ambo, Jamsheed Patel, Piyush Khaitan, Yogesh Pandya and Nirbhay Jain INVITEES TO BOARD MEETINGS PP Dr. F.D. Mirza, PP Arrow Sinha Roy, PP M.R. Currawalla, PP Mohan Lalvani 13 MAY Kiran Shah 14 MAY PP Gopal Motwane 17 MAY Pankaj Udhas 18 MAY Ravi Prakash 23 MAY PP Mohan Lalvani Directors In charge and Committee Chairmen MEMBERSHIP Dir. Gaurav Kapadia Classification : PP Yog Shankardas Membership : Naren Mohatta Membership Development : Ashwin Shah Rotary Information : PP S.B. Anand 25 MAY Zulfiquar Tyebjee May 26 MAY Santosh Kejriwal 26 MAY Brian Lobo 28 MAY Zeenat Ali 30 MAY Bhaskar Khira CLUB ADMINISTRATION Dir. Robert Lenzen Programmes : Mahesh Krishnamurthy Fellowships Activities : PP Mohan Lalvani Finance : PP Vishnu Haribhakti Attendance : Munna Mitha Bye Laws : PP Anil Kamath PUBLIC RELATIONS Dir. Anil Ambo Public Relations : Kishor Jhaveri 4 Way Test : Manoj Jalan Financial Opportunity Forum : Parag Parikh Intouch : PP Tilak Mehta Bulletin/ Magazine : Nargis Wadia Scholarships and Awards : PP Bhushan Anand SERVICE PROJECTS Dir. Jamsheed Patel Sakwar Adivasi Area Development : Kishore Sharma Nere Village and Eye Care : Nirbhay Jain Child Welfare : Naren Mohatta Medical Interpast : Dr Anil Tibrewalla Career Guidance : Krishan Khanna Senior Citizens Welfare : Kishore Jhaveri Environment : PP Lalit Gokuldas Polio and Care of Handicapped : Gaurav Kapadia Interact : Jamshed Patel Rotaract : Kiran Shah Innerwheel : PP Mohan Lalvani Sports : James Brunner International Family Exchange and Tours : Santosh Kejriwal International Projects : PP Arrow Sinha Roy THE ROTARY FOUNDATION Dir. Piyush Khaitan Funds Raising : Mehli R. Cama District Meets : PP Navin Shah Rotary Foundation : Vicky Punjabi Wedding Anniversary 05 Usha & Yogesh Pandya 05 Sandhya & Bipin Jain 09 Sukanti & Dr. Madhav Kamat 10 Urmila & Nirbhay Jain 11 Ashok & Tilak Mehta 13 Avani & Harshad Vora 14 Usha & Bhaskar Khira 14 Anjana & Dr. Kirit Mody 15 Aarti & Sunil Gautam 17 Shakuntala & Narendra Shetty 19 Urmilla & Ramgopal Mehra 27 Shobha & Dr. Pratap Sapat 28 Malini & Kirit Jasani EVENTS IN may 2 Wednesday CCC&B Fellowship - Wodehouse Gym. at 7 p.m. 9 Wednesday Speaker: Dr. Yash Shah 16 Wednesday Speaker: Ron Denham from RI 2.30 PM 11th BOD Meeting at The Taj Mahal Hotel 23 Wednesday Speaker: TBD 30 Wednesday Speaker: TBD Please send your articles and news for Musings to Nargis Wadia or Allan Chenyen preferably by the 16th of every month. 29 Zeenat & Shaukat Ali 31 Radha & Lalit Goculdas Spouse's Birthdays 07 Sukanti Madhav Kamat 07 Pushpa Ratan Sanghi 13 Meenu Rajeev Anand 14 Saroj Ravi Prakash 19 Ramidevi Murlidhar Jalan 20 Elinor Firoze Mirza 20 Shanti Mohan Shahani 22 Farida Punkaj Udhas 24 Asha Yoginder Shankardass 25 Madhurani A Jasdanwalla 26 Sandhya Bipin Jain Edited and published for Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town, Navjivan III Commercial Society Premises Ltd, 10th Floor, Room No.10(R), Lamington Road, Mumbai Tel: ; Tel/ Fax: Mobile: ; bbymid-town@vsnl.net Designed and Printed at Spenta Multimedia, Editorial: Rashida S. Arsiwala Design: Payal Sumaya Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai Page coordinated by Allan Chenyen The paper for the MUSINGS is donated by Rtn. Bimal Shroff for which the Club is extremely grateful.