Letters to the Editor – July 2022
Thanks for publishing the felicitations of Rtns Jayaraman and Narasimhan for completing 50 years of service in Rotary which will be a great encouragement to new members.
N Alagusubramani, RC Chennai KK Nagar — D3232
The June issue has excellent articles, including Jaishree’s article on the mother and child hospital, and Kiran Zehra’s article on chess championship for the blind. Thanks to DG Sunil Pathak and RC Pune Heritage for these two great projects. Photos are colourful and vivid; kudos to Team Rotary News.
Chinmaya Mahapatra, RC Rajdhani Bhubaneswar — D 3262
Great content in May issue
RI President Shekhar Mehta’s message in the May issue on fostering global peace is timely and relevant. Editor’s note on Sri Lanka’s plight is superb. Congrats to RC Bangalore Lakeside for doing 200 community welfare projects in a single year, spending over ₹1.5 crore, with three more months remaining. That is almost one service project every day of the year.
RID Dr Mahesh Kotbagi’s message titled The many shades of grey in the Ukraine war was an eye-opener. Preeti Mehra’s feature How much carbon on your plate was informative.
Daniel Chittilappilly, RC Kaloor — D 3201
The May issue revels in all quarters. President Speaks from Mehta is truly inspirational. Editor’s note pointed out the disaster in Sri Lanka. It is our duty to render whatever help we can to our neighbours. The project details of clubs were really motivating. The messages of RI directors and trustee chair were straight and plain, creating an impact.
The service projects of RC Bengaluru Lakeside are a global role model, branding Rotary as a globally successful organisation. PDG Vijay Rathi’s foray into sanitary pad distribution has relevance for all clubs in India. Phulkari training of RID 3090 and promoting the handicrafts will help in women’s empowerment. PRIP Rajendra Saboo has penned an energetic piece on dancing. The innovative techniques in watering crops by Karnataka’s farmers is a good example to be followed in areas with water scarcity. The joint effort of RC Madras and UK clubs in building toilet blocks will spread the message of hygiene and sanitation among other clubs. All other content in the May issue is well picked and edited.
Dr Jayasekharan V P, RC Payyanur — D 3204
I am impressed by the work done by RC Bangalore Lakeside, RID 3190. Their achievements, be it the restoration of a pond, setting up a creche for the children or gifting cycles to girl students will motivate Rotarians to serve the needy.
Jagdish Malu
RC Gulbarga, Suncity — D 3160
Cross-border friendship
Regarding the article India Pak Rotarians meet at Kartarpur (May), I’d like to share my experience of attending the Rotary peace meet at this gurudwara in March. Being a part of 25-plus delegation from India, we were privileged to make new friends from Pakistan. We exchanged flags and visiting cards and invited them to our country. Around 100 Rotarians from Pakistan took part in the peace meet. The mission had a positive impact on us. I presented my club flag to RID Mahesh Kotbagi and RIDE Muhammad Faiz Kidwai. Together, we had food in the langar.
Dr Pallavi Maji, RC Burdwan — D 3240
Rotary magic in Nepal village
It is difficult to digest that even today people are living without bathing, washing their clothes. We are glad that RC Mahabouddha, RID 3292, Nepal, has brought piped water to all the 236 homes, built toilets, and transformed the life in Pere village. No doubt, this is one of the 10 best Rotary projects ever done anywhere in the world.
N Jagatheesan, RC Eluru — D 3020
The June cover picture touched me and the sufferings of people at the Pere village, Nepal, were vividly explained by the editor. All the pictures related to the RI presidential conference in Hyderabad were of high quality and the articles were accompanied by illustrative pictures.
V Jayaprakash, RC Salem East — D 2982
Rotary Club of Mahabouddha, RID 3292, under the leadership of Rtn Devaraj Ghimire has executed a life-changing project to bring water supply to each house in Pere village, Nepal. Now, the lifestyle of the Pere villagers has changed for good with easy access to clean water and the village is open defecation free, thanks to Rotary. We can say god has opened his eyes in that village, acting through a Rotary club. Let us march further.
S Mohan, RC Madurai West — D 3000
The cover photo depicting a woman in Pere village, Nepal, bathing her child, is unique. Thanks to RC Mahabouddha, the villagers now have piped water supply. The farewell message of RI President Shekhar Mehta is excellent, and his recap of his year in the editor’s interview is very interesting.
Glad to note that PRIP K R Ravindran led a solidarity march in Colombo demanding good governance in Sri Lanka. RID Mahesh Kotbagi explains well the importance of Rotary summits. RID A S Venkatesh has focused on member retention which is critical. Messages from trustee chair and trustee are inspiring.
Ravishankar Dakoju’s simplicity and helping mentality is laudable. Articles like Hurts to see Ukraine bleed, Breast prosthesis for cancer survivors, RID 3292 Discon, and Projects at presidential conference are all enjoyable. Colourful moments from RI presidential conference with beautiful pictures are a treat.
Philip Mulappone M T, RC Trivandrum Suburban — D 3211
The June issue is eminently readable and the magazine is reaching new heights by providing the latest information about Rotary projects. The articles on the global grant project by RC Mahabouddha, Nepal, and Sri Lankan Rotarians strongly supporting the demand for good governance show the global character of Rotary News. It was nice to read about the diverse experiences of RI President Shekhar Mehta and Rashi. Articles on empowerment of girls, RC Sambalpur’s gift of mother and child hospital due to munificence of Dr Narayani Panda, and the great work done by the ‘Iceman’ Chewang Norphel are evidence of Rotary’s great service
Dr Anil Latey, RC Poona Downtown — D 3131
Details of how Rotary is helping the Pere villagers in Nepal by bringing piped water to their homes, resulting in prevention of disease and improving their health were impressive. Inadequate access to safe water combined with poor sanitation and hygiene practices is among the leading causes of diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, worm infestation and skin diseases. Kudos to RC Mahabouddha for taking up such a deserving project to alleviate the sufferings of villagers. With reference to Sri Lanka’s plight, we hope PRIP Ravindran will be a gift to Sri Lanka and use his good offices, along with his well-informed knowledge in economics, to help out Sri Lankans.
K M K Murthy, RC Secunderabad — D 3150
Where is the ‘grey’?
With reference to the RI director’s message titled The many shades of grey in the Ukraine war (May issue), the RI statement calls for “the withdrawal of Russian forces”. There is not much ‘grey’ about this injunction. My grandfather was the charter president of RC Madras (1929), and though a peaceable man, would not hesitate to call out injustice and war-mongering when he saw them. He would not be too impressed today by the fence-sitting exhibited in your subcontinent.
John Armstrong, RC Chiswick and Brentford — D 1130
