What we need to do to eradicate polio?

"What? Polio? In India? It has already been eradicated."

That is the most mistaken statement of our times today. And a challenge too?  Though polio has been TAKEN OFF THE LIST OF POLIO-ENDEMIC NATIONS, we have to continue to work and ensure that the next 18 months pass off peacefully, and without any case of polio in India.  But there are still other three nations...Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria.  There is a regular migration of people from these areas and till the time polio gets eliminated from these countries, our children remain at high risk.

Last Sunday, a regional level polio meet was organised to review the strategy to combat any emergency and the way forward. The past, incoming and current District Governors from District 3070, 3080 and 3090, covering almost the entire northern region, interacted with Past Rotary International President, Rajendra K. Saboo, Rotary International Director Yash Pal Das, Chairman of the RI India National PolioPlus Committee(INPPC) PDG Deepak Kapur, and INPPC member PDG Shubh Karn Gupta, along with the  north India representative of WHO Dr. Prashant Roy.

There could not have been the most crucial time than now for Rotary to get more active, engaged and responsive to the evolving situation to ensure that not only there is 100 percent coverage of under-5 years children during the NIDs and SNIDs, but also generate awareness for routine immunisation. 

Later, the District Level PolioPlus Coordinators attended the meeting where the panel along with DG Manmohan Singh, District Chair PolioPlus Praveen Goyal, and WHO's representative Dr. Shivani Gupta, answered the queries of Rotarians.


Just today morning I received a call from PDG Sunilk. Zachariah who manages Rotary eFlash, about a video which is a must-see for every Rotarian.  It is a highly articulate, expressive video of Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General - Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, who is a Canadian physician and epidemiologist, who addressed a group of opinion leaders in the TED conference. (If you can't see the video, please click here to visit the blog and watch the video)

Raja Saboo on Reach Out to Africa

Past Rotary International President Rajendra Saboo's presentation at the Reach out to Africa "Off and Running" Meeting in Livingstone, Zambia on 22-23 July, 2012

Rwanda Mission- Rajendra Saboo from Rotary International

Differently Challenged but Differently Winners

9-yr-old Helps Disabled Brother Finish Triathlons

Over the weekend, brothers Cayden and Connor Long joined hundreds of other children as they competed in the first annual New England Kids Triathlon in Cambridge.
The boys did not win the event -- they didn't even come close. But that didn't stop them from winning hearts across the Internet.
The Long brothers are not your typical triathletes. Six-year-old Cayden has cerebral palsy and can neither walk nor talk. But thanks to the dedication of his older brother, Connor, the young boy has participated in several triathlons. A touching video and article outlining their journey on Daily Good website.

India amidst drinking water crisis

According to a report published today in The Economic Times, India is in for a drinking water crisis. With rainfall 40% below average in key crop-growing areas in north and northwest, India's 84 important reservoirs have been filled only to 19% of their capacity which is 41% lower than last year.
The reservoir situation, the report states, is similar to conditions in 2009 when the country faced one of the worst droughts in 100 years, which will impact agriculture as well as the power sector. 

Spiritualism is key to manage stress, advices Swami Avdeshanand Giri

Stress is growing because of man’s insatiable desire to wrest power, position, wealth, and material possessions, said Swami Avdeshanand Giri ji maharaj while addressing our Club on Monday evening
Swami Avdeshanand Giri who is the Acharya Mahamandleshwar of the Junapeeth Akhara in Haridwar and incharge of ashrams in Haridwar, Varanasi, and Baroda, blessed the Club with his gracious presence and highly inspirational discourse.
He lamented the man’s indiscriminate violation of laws of Nature because of the desire to acquire quick money, wealth, status in the community he lives in by whatever means and unfortunately, such people of so-called success have become the ideals for many resulting in acute mental stress.  This continued internal fight to make everything favourable to one’s own wants and desires ultimately are providing only temporary joy and pleasant feelings, with no end to stress and distress inside.
In an age of information, advertising, and consumerism, there is instant panacea to all ills being sold whether it is for quick health, or quick beauty, taking us away from the reality of this world, Swami ji said.
Our quest to create a beautiful peaceful world, the oneness of human kind, would be realized only when we adopt the path of spiritualism, he added.
Spirutalism, he said, is not following religious rituals but returning to one’s own inner self – a state of extreme bliss that one enjoys when one goes off to a deep dream-less slumber. A state when human being returns within his inner folds and if he retains this inner peace, he would get wiser, more in control of one’s life, a happy, joyous, loving and caring being, Swami ji said.
Spiritualism makes you stronger and in control of yourself and complete.  Swami ji revealed the true meaning of ‘Bhagwan’ that we all yearn for and worship, and yet continue to disintegrate and destroy it mercilessly. He said that the word ‘bhagwan’ represents the five elements of Nature around us, i.e. ‘bha’ for ‘bhumi’ or earth; ‘ga’ for ‘gagan’ or sky; ‘va’ for ‘vayu’ or air; ‘aa’ for ‘agni’ or fire; and ‘na’ for ‘neer’ or water.  Swami ji said that the man has polluted all these elements in his quest for worldly acquisitions and comforts, killing the essence of Nature, which has taken us all away from ‘bhagwan’ or god.
On being asked about the relationship, he said that each one of us are related to each other and it is man’s responsibility towards another being for everything, which alone can build better relations. Only a truly spiritual person can maintain proper relationship with one’s fellow beings, he added.
He expressed his gratitude on being a part of intellectual gathering of Rotarians and blessed all for the exceptional good work they are doing for the humanity, and even commended Rotary’s efforts in eradicating polio from the world.
This was a meeting that was charged with high positive energy in which Rotarians with their spouses joined to listen to Swami ji.
The atmosphere was so charged that the meeting culminated with an equally enlightened and spiritually-motivated expression of gratitude from President Elect Rtn. Hassan Mejie.  Expressing his inability to say the words of gratitude to Swami ji, he paid a befitting tribute to his presence by offering to save another life of a poor child under Rotary’s Heartline project by promising to pay Rs.65,000, and paid, as a token, a sum of Rs.1000 to the Club.
The evening fellowship was hosted by PP Rtn. Man Mohan Singh Kohli and PP Rtn. Praveen Chander Goyal.