At a glittering event in Chandigarh, The Rotary Foundation trustee chair Holger Knaack conferred Rotary’s International PolioPlus Service Award to Past RI President Rajendra Saboo, who is widely accepted as a pioneer in India’s journey to become polio-free.
The citation said the award was being given to Saboo in “recognition of his significant active personal service towards the goal of polio eradication… and the pioneering role you have played in Rotary’s polio eradication efforts. Your remarkable vision, leadership, and steadfast commitment have contributed greatly to the significant progress we have made toward achieving a Polio-free world. Your personal service on behalf of children worldwide will be treasured always.”
Saboo has been one of the longest-serving members of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, providing guidance and inspiring generations of Rotarians to believe that service, when rooted in conviction, can truly change the course of history. Tirelessly, he bridged the gap between governments, medical institutions, volunteers, and Rotarians — ensuring that every child had the chance to live free from the shadow of polio. He was equally influential in the fight against polio even outside India.
Conveying his gratitude to Saboo on behalf of TRF and the entire Rotary world, Knaack presented the citation and a crystal to the veteran Indian Rotary leader and said right from the inception of Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio from the world in the early 1980s when he was a director on the RI Board (1981–83), the past president was “actively involved in this task. He was instrumental in the initiation of the National Immunisation Day for nationwide polio immunisation of children below 5. He had also worked relentlessly in the transportation of the polio vaccine from overseas and for the maintenance of the crucial cold chain for the vaccine through Rotary volunteers and government health officials and public health workers.”
The trustee chair said that Saboo had not confined himself merely to India, and had also reached out to several African countries, where he led medical missions in which Indian surgeons performed various types of operations, including orthopaedic correctional surgery on polio victims.
He added that unfortunately, as RI President he could not visit Chandigarh or India due to the Covid pandemic, but from the various interactions he had with Saboo at different RI Conventions and other events, he had always held the Indian Rrotary leader in great esteem;. “he has been a role model for so many people.”
TRF trustee Bharat Pandya recalled Saboo’s leadership in the polio vaccination drive, the co-ordination and cooperation between Rotarians and the government in India and the hard work put in by all of them which had resulted in India becoming polio free much earlier than the world had expected.
RI District 3080 DG Ravi Parakash said Saboo and his wife Usha’s contribution to the Rotary world has been immense not only in spearheading the movement to eradicate polio from India and the world, but also in establishing Peace Centres in the world and taking medical missions to Africa and within India. RRFC N Subramanian, Susanne Knaack and Usha Saboo attended the event where AKS members and major donors were recognised by the Trustee Chair.
While visiting Mumbai, trustee chair Holger Knaack and his wife Susanne, accompanied by TRF trustee Bharat Pandya and PRID Ashok Mahajan, called upon Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development Rajashree Birla at her office.
During the meeting, Knaack conveyed heartfelt gratitude to her on behalf of The Rotary Foundation and shared updates about the newly established Rotary Peace Center in Pune.
On her part, Rajashree expressed her concern on the challenges in polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, to which the trustee chair responded with cautious optimism about improvements on the ground.
Mahajan, who facilitated the meeting, said it lasted about 90 minutes, and discussion included wide-ranging topics of global developments, including the current situation in the US and other general matters of mutual interest.
At a mega TRF/CSR multi district conclave hosted in Tirupur by RC Tirupur, RI district 3203, trustee chair Knaack thanked and recognised TRF donors ranging from Arch Klumph Society members, Endowment donors, Major Donors to Annual Fund Challenge achievers. He said every dollar donated to TRF was important at it played a “vital role in advancing Rotary’s mission of service”.
Amidst applause, he praised RID 3203 DG Dhanasekar’s exceptional leadership, which had led to this Rotary district being the only district in Zone 5 to achieve the TRF Challenge. Special recognition was given to RC Pollachi for the members’ individual contribution of $25 to TRF, earning them the Early Achiever Award in the Annual Fund Challenge.
AKS members NSV Arumugam and Gnanasekaran presented the endowment cheque to the Trustee Chair.
Knaack appreciated the involvement and participation of the Rotaractors in the district’s service and other activities. This seamless cooperation between Rotary and Rotaract was a powerful example of how teamwork amplifies impact. He applauded the human formation of the peace symbol by the Rotarians and Rotaractors of RID 3203, which represented TRF’s enduring commitment to world peace.
RI director M Muruganandan and TRF trustee Bharat Pandya addressed the meeting and congratulated the Rotarians in the district for their commitment to The Rotary Foundation and what it stands for. Past RI President K R Ravindran and Vanathy and Susanne Knaack participated in the meet, which was also attended by AKS members A Karthikeyan EMGA – Zone 5, V R Muthu EPNC – Zone 5, PDG J Sridhar, ARRFC, Ravishankar Dakoju, DGE, RID 3192 and RID 2982 DG M D Sivasundaram. The host club was RC Tirupur.