An awards night in memory of PDG Rekha Shetty

The first death anniversary of its club member and past district governor (RID 3232) Rekha Shetty was commemorated by the Rotary Club of Madras Temple City through a fitting Awards Night. At this dignified and well-conducted event, the PDG Rekha Shetty Memorial Award was presented to two young women achievers — Umamaheswari K and Saraniya Periaswamy of Agnikul Cosmos, who were instrumental in helping the first private sector company in India to successfully launch a rocket.

Giving details of the club’s background and this award, past president of the club and Awards chair Chandu Nair said, “this award has been constituted to recognise women who have shown commendable progress in their field so as to inspire more young women and girls.” Incidentally, he added, this club, chartered in 1989, was the first club with a woman president (Rekha Shetty) outside North America and Canada, and one of the first in the world to open up membership for women. “Since then, it has had several women presidents and continues to maintain a 50:50 ratio of men to women members,” he added.

President of RC Madras ­Temple City Premsekar announced that the For the Sake of Honour Award was being presented to the legal luminary Arvind P Datar, “who is a senior advocate, a noted jurist and author who has been a mentor to so many lawyers over the years.”

Rekha had contested along with me for the post of RI director;
I won, not because I was better, but because I was luckier and also happened to be a man. At that particular time, it was difficult for a woman to win the directorship of Rotary.
— K R Ravindran, Past RI President

Both the awards were presented by past RI president K R Ravindran.

Recalling his long association and friendship with the late PDG Rekha Shetty, Ravindran described her as a “complete human being. Rekha was very special, she brought cheer into every room she entered, had an infectious smile and brought a smile on every face she greeted.”

They were in college in ­Chennai around the same time, even though he did not know her then. “I was in ­Loyola and she was in Stella Maris, where Vanathy (his wife) also studied around the same time. She had an illustrious educational background, got university ranks, and did a doctorate in business administration. But most important… she had practical knowledge of how a business works.”

Ravindran disclosed that he himself had invited her to come down to Colombo and speak to his company employees, “not on academic matters but very practical stuff. She has written many books which are lined up on my bookshelf.” He admitted that he hadn’t read all of them, but the one book he had read and enjoyed was the one written by her husband Jai Shetty, also a member of the same club, titled Laughing Gas, and had teased Rekha on how she would turn the mirror in the car to “make up her face,” as stated in that book.

He added: “Rekha was competitive but caring, learned but childlike and helpful to the extreme.” Ravindran recalled that a short while before she passed away so suddenly, he had sought her help in getting some medical treatment from a competent neurologist and physiotherapist for the chairman of his company and chief of Dilmah tea, who was 93 years old. “I asked her if such experts could come to Sri Lanka and look at him. I spoke to her and forgot about it, but two days later she called and said that in two days the head of Neurology and head of Physiotherapy from Apollo ­Hospitals would come down. Just like that, she had fixed it.”

There was no talk of fee, etc; he organised the flights and later settled the fees; “one of them referred to her affectionately as ‘Rekha aunty’! Once I sent her as an RI President’s Representative to Africa and till years later a senior leader there would ask me about her welfare.”

RC Madras Temple City, chartered in 1989, was the first club with a woman president (Rekha Shetty) outside North America and Canada, and one of the first in the world to open up membership for women.

Ravindran added that though they were friends; “we had our differences, make no mistakes about it. She had contested along with me for the post of RI director; I won, not because I was better, but because I was luckier and also happened to be a man and she was a woman, and in this set up at that particular time, it was difficult for a woman to win the directorship of Rotary. But we stayed friends for a long time. She was blessed to have a devoted spouse like Jai who was so supportive, and had no ego. This year would have been their 50^th anniversary,” he said, striking a poignant note.

A female leader, who encouraged other women, “a cherished friend, loyal wife and devoted mother, Rekha has left behind a legacy of love and devotion, which can inspire others to live with the same grace and excel,” Ravindran added.

Addressing the meet RID 3232 DG Ravi Raman paid a tribute to Rekha Shetty and recalling their friendship, said that recently “when I was facing some issues, she was very supportive, encouraging me on how to go forward.” He congratulated the club for choosing “an excellent group of people to honour.”

Club president Premsekar said the awardees had been chosen in accordance with the club’s tradition, from among both the “upcoming and ­seasoned achievers in different walks of life. The Lifetime ­Achievement Award goes to ­Kamakshi ­Subramaniyan, a 96-year-old civic activist, who has been fighting for over 40 years to preserve the Besant Nagar neighbourhood and the beach in Chennai.”

The Youth Merit Award was given to M R Balamurugan, currently ranked as India’s No 1 in the under-17 category in table tennis.

The Guts and Grit Award, constituted by club member Dr Prithika Chary, was given to the paralympic swimming champion Nithruv Rajagopal, for his “fortitude in overcoming disabilities and becoming a national-level paralympic swimming champion.” Nithruv was diagnosed with ADHD and DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) when he was only four.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat