Greetings for the new year to you and your team. We all admire the commitment, dedication and finesse with which you have been spreading the magic of Rotary month after month all these years.
This morning, I picked up the Jan issue, and like always, read your note — Peace Matters first. While I totally agree with the message of peace, I suggest that as Rotarians we should avoid taking a stand in favour of or against any groups/communities in the world. If you feel that Palestinians are a persecuted lot, there are those who feel otherwise. So let’ s avoid taking such conflicting stands. This is not only my personal opinion, but the view of many which I hope is taken in the right spirit.
Sunil Goyal, RC Nilgiris – D 3203
RI President Francesco Arezzo’s message (Dec issue) was superb. Kudos to RC Trivandrum Central for providing a mobile blood bank to meet the city’s growing need for blood, which helps to save the lives of patients, accident victims and surgical cases.
Congrats to RID 3233 for helping 200 women, an economic empowerment dream, by providing sewing machines and skill training to become economically self-reliant and take care of their families.
Muthukumaran’s article Let’s finish polio once for all was fantastic. Gita Mathai’s column on B12-the key to nerve health was informative. Congrats to her. We must include such topics in our Rotary News regularly.
Daniel Chittilappilly
RC Kaloor — D 3205
My heartfelt gratitude to you and your hard-working team for publishing the various community projects of RC Imphal in the November issue.
A big thanks to Jaishree for the meaningful write-up Transforming lives in Manipur that highlighted the initiatives undertaken by our club. This coverage has boosted the morale of our club and helped us to reach a wider audience, inspiring others to join our cause. We are grateful for your commitment to showcase community projects and look forward to continued collaboration with more such insightful articles.
N Muhindro Singh
RC Imphal — D 3240
Rotary’s 121 years journey is a testimony to its impact in shaping today’s world. The presidential message Create lasting impact is a clarion call to ‘people of action’ across the globe to ‘act to impact’ locally, globally.
Murali Krishna
RC Berhampur – D 3262
On the Sidelines, detailing some interesting moments at the Tejas Institute, written in a lighter style, is interesting to read. Another one, When Science rolls in has showcased practical demonstration of experiments by students through Rotary initiative. We appreciate the efforts of Editor Rasheeda Bhagat and her team in making Rotary News interesting and readable.
Radheshyam Modi
RC Akola — D 3030
We felt honoured to read the article When Science rolls in as it captured the essence of RC Virudhunagar’s close-to-heart project, Vigyan Rath, in partnership with Idhayam. Jaishree has compiled the details, clearly underlined the impact and benefits of the project and acknowledged the benevolent members whose contribution was instrumental in its success.
Our thanks and appreciation for your recognition of this initiative as it inspires us to continue striving to do more and do better in our service endeavours. Thank you, madam.
PDG V R Muthu
RC Virudhunagar — D 3212
Rahul D Shah’s article How AI can transform Rotary’s work was very good and simple, but in detail as it touched issues related to this emerging tech. This article lucidly explains for Rotarians how they can use digital technologies like AI for their clubs and networking activity. The analysis concludes with a touching statement that “AI is a tool that enhances our ability to serve, but should not be a substitute for our values.” Compliments to the author.
P S Kamaraj Pillai
RC Salem Gymkhana — D 2982
I read with interest A leadership journey like no other that turned the spotlight on our soldiers who guard our country on difficult terrains. It was a goosebumps moment for me to read it. My compliments; do publish such inspiring features and articles.
A Guna Seelan, RC Bhavani Carpet
City — D 3203
A wonderful puri-bhaji project
Maharaj Birmani and his wife Roma from RC Deolali are doing wonderful service (Jan cover story) offering puri-bhaji to the working community for 28 years. What a remarkable job they’ve been doing, leading Birmani to say proudly: “Nobody sleeps hungry in Deolali.”
Let us congratulate this couple for their marvellous work and may God bless them with a long life. RI director Muruganandam has penned a meaningful message with the headline Keep glowing, keep growing.
Public image is one of the significant pillars of Rotary along with membership, Rotary Foundation and service. “For the world to support us, the world must see us and understand us,” he rightly says. We must keep the Rotary banner high in the horizon.
S Mohan
RC Madurai West — D 3000
The new RI President-elect’s theme Create lasting impact is perfect for the cover story on RC Deolali’s Maharaj Birmani. I was astonished by his noble deed and Service above Self attitude. Such service creates lasting impact on society, and boosts Rotary’s public image.
Sajan Suresh
RC Kalpetta — D 3204
The cover story, 28 years of compassionate efforts to end hunger, was heartwarming. What a wonderful person Birmani is. His longstanding and nutritious food service has improved the health of poor workers. At IKYAM Feeding Hope, we do weekly meal distribution. Last year, we provided 2,556 meals. Birmani’s service is inspiring. This year, I plan to improve this charity. Thanks to the author for the wonderful article.
Shiva Perumal Subramani
RC Walajapet — D 3231
An incredible article on
mental health
I just finished reading the article Stop bottling up by Vidhya Subramanian in the Jan issue and felt compelled to reach out. The spouse of a hotshot director often remains in the shadows. But this article by such a spouse (of PRID Raju Subramanian) places her exactly where she belongs — a person of immense courage, encouraging others to seek help, and being available when such help is sought.
Your words were incredibly timely and brave. We often talk about service and leadership, but this piece reminded me that we cannot pour from an empty cup. I was particularly moved by the point on how “too much tolerance” can actually be self-destructive. It’s a perspective we rarely hear, especially in our circles where we are taught to adjust and persevere.
I’d like to thank her for being such a strong advocate of mental wellness and for encouraging us to break the silence. The work that she and the RID 3141 team are doing with the podcasts is truly groundbreaking. We need more voices like theirs to remind us that it’s okay to prioritise our own peace.
I do hope PRIP Gordon McInally has read this article. He will truly appreciate it.
PRIP K R Ravindran