Letters to the Editor – February 2024
Mantras for longevity
The article Mantra for health & longevity by Bharat and Shalan Savur gave us a lot of clues to enjoy a long life with good health. All the points quoted from the documentary Live to 100 by writer Dan Buetner are powerful. Both Rotary and its members will be in a win-win situation if all the points are followed. Many Rotarians might have found their, hitherto unknown, inner potential while executing various Rotary programmes. The fact that networking increases lifespan is relevant to Rotarians.
The article rightly points out that man is the villain of peace. His greed, over the years, has resulted in environmental abuse. The last paragraph of the article correctly says that moderation may be the new modern mantra.
M Palaniappan, RC Madurai West — D 3000
Appreciation of magazine by UK Rotarian
I am an Indian in UK and a cricket lover too. I enjoyed reading Rotary News from India handed over to me by my fellow Rotarian friend Govind Bahirat from RID 3131.
I agree with the sentiments of the editor on the World Cup final match, where I was one of the thousands in the stadium on that day. I too felt very bad and disappointed with the loss of the Indian team, but I fail to understand the lack of generosity in not spontaneously congratulating the opponents who handsomely won the World Cup. Even the lights display on the sky didn’t immediately show that the Australians were the champions.
This raised questions on sportsmanship, looking after guests and how we treat them and value professionalism… these still need to go a long way.
Enjoyed every page of your Rotary News, which I happened to lay hands on for the first time. Keep it up.
Anand N, RC Northallerton Mowbray — D 1040
RI President Gordon McInally has penned a nice message titled The road to peace in the Nov issue. He has asked us to support the peacebuilding initiatives of Rotary, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. Also, the Rotary Peace Centre is offering a one-year professional development certificate in peace studies. We, Rotarians, must join hands to ensure that peace prevails across the world. Though the journey will be difficult, we can take one step at a time.
S Muniandi, RC Dindigul Fort — D 3000
Reading the LBW column by TCA Srinivas Raghavan in the Jan issue, I remember the statement made by a politician in North India opposing capital punishment for rape, saying “ladke, ladke hain… galti ho jati hai (boys will be boys… they commit mistakes).” Parents overlook the unpardonable mistakes of their children due to over-pampering, especially in nuclear families.
With reference to the article Skilling youth for BPO by V Muthukumaran, the use of the phrase ‘passing out’ in the second paragraph is a common mistake while referring to those graduating from a school or university. The phrase means ‘become unconscious for a short time’. The correct usage is completed, finished or graduated.
N Anthri Vedi, RC Hyderabad Mega City — D 3150
The usage is not wrong. Several phrases in the English language have more than one meaning. The Cambridge dictionary gives the meaning of ‘passing out of a military college’ as ‘the act of leaving a military college after successfully finishing the course’. It adds another example: I went to my son’s “passing out parade”.
Editor
Informative advertorial
I congratulate Rotary News for publishing the advertorial “What is the Pivotal Role of the Rotary Clubs and its Members in District and Zonal Elections” by Rtn A Rangarajan in the December issue. This is a burning topic that reflects on the integrity of our organisation.
Basically, the election process in our RI districts follows either of the two norms — direct e-voting by clubs or election though the Nominating Committee. While both are effective and clean at times, they do have a chance of being tarnished by rumours of being otherwise.
With so many questionable practices prevailing, rumours do the rounds in Rotary circles that attempts have been made to influence the NC members too. But these things sadly can never be proved.
Sometimes the club members are not aware of the names let alone the biodata of the candidates aspiring for the coveted post. There is no shortcut to solve these problems. No matter how many times the Four-Way Test is quoted, the net result remains zero.
One way to ensure the transparency and cleanliness is to inculcate more Rotary knowledge among Rotarians. The onus is on the clubs and district leadership to set such matters right.
Sayantan Gupta, RC Malda Central — D 3240
Lively photos, interesting institute articles
The dance performance at the Bengaluru zone institute published as the cover picture of the Jan issue is superb. RI President Gordon McInally in his message describes well the importance of peacebuilding between warring nations and the role of Rotary Peace Centres in building lasting peace in the world.
From the Editor’s note it is clear that the Bengaluru zone institute was excellent. I was delighted to read a good amount was collected for TRF and Polio Fund. TRF Trustee Barry Rassin has set a goal of $500 million for TRF collection this year and we wish his ambition is fulfilled for the betterment of the world.
RID Anirudha Roychowdhury has given a call to tackle health challenges by standing together. All the pictures and their descriptions related to the zone institute were praise-worthy. Articles including EAM Jaishankar’s speech, Rotary’s absence in Gaza, TRF donors make India proud, Rotary stalwarts honoured, Branding Rotary for GenNext, Success mantras for incoming leaders, RC Thane Hills sets up autism centre in Mumbai, and 8-year-old Indian mountaineer sets world record, are all interesting to read. Club Hop and Project Vignettes are interesting too. Kudos to Team Rotary News.
Philip Mulappone M T, RC Trivandrum Suburban — D 3211
Happy to go through the content of the Jan issue. We are glad to note that the zone institute was conducted efficiently and reporting of the various deliberations provided interesting content. The action photos of the institute gave us a feeling as if each of us was present and participated in the proceedings. A special mention has to be made about the coverage of EAM S Jaishankar’s speech which dwelt on the rapid progress of the country.
All the zone institute articles were interesting to read. This magazine serves the purpose of developing a good communication within Rotary and outside too. Congratulations to the editor and her team.
R Srinivasan, RC Bangalore J P Nagar — D 3191
The zone institute did Rise above expectations because of the dedication, planning and execution of the event by convenor RID Raju Subramaniam and chairman PDG K P Nagesh. Especially because the lifelike digital presentation was world-class and in par with RI conventions as stated by RIPN de Camargo. Needless to say, the presence of RI President McInally, spouse Heather, de Camargo, RI officers, and the 800 delegates added glamour to the event and the camaraderie that prevailed was fascinating. The highlight was the enthusiasm of McInally who took time to take selfies, tee off a local golf tournament and flag off a midnight marathon. His presence netted $100,000 for the Polio Fund and $300,000 for TRF. Commendable. Thanks to the editorial team for the colourful pictures in Rotary News.
VRT Dorairaja, RC Tiruchirapalli — D 3000
