Magazine Month Gift for our Rotary Club

Just yesterday, we had our Monday meeting dedicated to the Rotary Magazine Month, that brought to the fore how Rotary magazine is changing life, and filling us all with information and inspiration to do more.  Our Rotarians, including PDG Kawal Bedi, IPDG Madhukar Malhotra, Director Club Service PP Manmohan Singh Kohli, Director Community Service AP Singh, and co-editor of our club bulletin 'Rotary Open Hand' Desh Deepak Khanna shared their insights.  It was enriching and refreshing.
And just today morning when I glanced through the April issue of THE ROTARIAN which had arrived in mail just yesterday, page 15 had a surprise under the 'Woirld roundup'.  It features the story of 'Hamari Beti' and the tieup our club had made with the School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, for producing radio programmes on community radio Jyotigamaya 91.2fm.
You can also read it on the Rotary's online edition.  Just Click Here.
Congratulations to all.

Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures

On March 8, tomorrow, the world would be celebrating the International Women's Day.  This year, the theme for world-wide activities is, CONNECTING GIRLS, INSPIRING FUTURES

If every International Women's Day event held in 2012 includes girls in some way, then thousands of minds will be inspired globally.

Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

It is sad that in certain parts of our country the female foeticide is a disgraceful act that people indulge in.  Some women succumb to family and societal pressures to get rid of the female fetus even before birth, just for a stupid, irrational craving for a boy child. 

Though 'Hamari Beti' , an initiative of our Club to sensitise the people against female foeticide is endeavouring to make a difference and change people's attitudes, the task is challenging. 

A recent survey by a student journalist in the village Mubarkpur near Chandigarh, revealed how a lady had to undergo five abortions to avoid the birth of girl, thanks to sex determination test being conducted by unscrupulous doctors, and finally, she was able to conceive a boy, who was born mentally challenged.  

Think about this. 'Hamari Beti' needs to be protected. We need to own up the responsibility and put our foot down to curb any such inhuman act against the girl child the moment we learn about it.  

Connecting Girls would always inspire future...a better future for everyone.  

Share Your Thoughts!

Here's another competition. Please send to me a 200 words essay on how you feel we can sow the seeds of gender equality in the minds of the people. 

Rotarians and their family members are also encouraged to participate and contribute.
- The entries should be emailed to seejaysingh@gmail.com, with 'Hamari Beti' Competition written in the subject box of the email.
- The last date for receiving all entries is 15th February.
- Each entrant would receive a Certificate of Participation.
- Three selected entries would win prizes.
So get going. Put on your thinking caps and go ahead.

Hamari Beti Committee

'Hamari Beti' to go on air

After having successfully launched its Facebook community page, which has attracted community participation to join the debate against female foeticide, the Rotary Club of Chandigarh (District 3080) has been able to tie up with Panjab University’s School of Communication Studies, for initiating a radio series titled “Hamari Beti”.

The community radio, Jyotigramye 91.2 MHz, would be producing series of interview based programmes on various facets of the issue including female foeticide, crime against women, literacy, women empowerment, rights of women, the health issues, and the medical fraternity’s role in preventing the menace of female foeticide, etc.

The programme was kicked off with the interview of Rotary Club Chandigarh’s President Rtn. Neena Singh who spoke about the Rotary’s initiatives in reaching out to the women in the region and sensitise them to the isseue.

From Drop Box

We shall be enaging the local community and have interviewed people living in the villages and the residences around the campus, who would be part of the radio programme “Hamari Beti”, informed Rtn. Charanjit Singh, an alumnus of the School of Communication Studies.

The programme is aimed at reaching out to the community at large targeting the youth in the campus plus people living in Chandigarh in a periphery of 15-20kms radius, where this community radio is heard.

The recording bank is being created at the moment, and is being packaged with lots of other inputs from students and research scholars in this programme and would be launched within a fortnight for which some celebrities are being approached, informed Dr Archana Singh, Head of the School of Communication Studies, Panjab University.

Hamari Beti

Celebrating womanhood.  Sensitising people against the scourge of female foeticide. Taking action to correct the skewed male:female ratio in our country.
With this mission in mind our Club has renewed its efforts in this direction and proposes to take up projects that can bring about a positive change in our society. Under the leadership of Rtn Neena Singh, "Hamari Beti" would be one of the focus area.
Members would recall that as a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of our Club, we had started this project. A school painting competition and slogan writing contest marked the beginning of this project which received tremendous response.  There had also been a tieup with Fortis Hospital, and the new Committee under the Community Service avenue would be renewing its ties with Fortis as well as forging new ones with the Hospitals around the tricity.
Already our Club has created a CAUSE on Facebook, and a new Group, HAMARI BETI,  has been created there to associate more and more people with this cause. And surprisingly there is great response from some of the youngsters. One girl has penned a poem and put it up on our page. Surely, if young people understand the issues, they perhaps would be ready to meet this challenge as they step into their married lives. Or even otherwise in their homes too.
So get going. Be a part of this mission. Save girls from extinction.