Rotary Peace City

The most photographed monument in Chandigarh 

The Rotary Peace City project, earlier known as Rotary Peace Symbol Project, was initiated in 1993 by Rtn Tony Quinlivan, which was an offshoot of an initiative of Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga-Kooringal, NSW, Australia in District 9700 in 1992.

On 23^rd February 1993, Wagga Wagga became the first Rotary Peace City in the world.

Today there are over sixty Rotary Peace cities.

On 22^nd June 1994, on 75^th anniversary of Rotary Club of Manila, Philippines, Manila became the first declared international Rotary Peace City.

The concept hit the Indian shores on 20^th December 1999, when Chennai Kilpauk City became the first Peace City in India.

Chandigarh became the second city after Chennai to be declared the Rotary Peace City on 12^th December 2003.

It was in September 2003 that Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, the then Special Ambassador for Rotary Peace Communities projects around the world, presented the proposal before the Club members. It was a meeting dedicated to celebration of Diwali with senior citizens.  The members accented and the work was in full swing.

Local architects were approached for a design idea, and the concept submitted by Rotarian architect couple, Sandeep Luthra and Suchita, was accepted.

The project cost at that time was for Rs.5 lakh and search for sponsors began.  Newly joined Rtn. Arvind Mahajan along with Past President Kewal Seth, and Rtn. Charanjit Singh made a presentation to the Chief General Manager of State Bank of India, who was convinced and agreed to support the project.

The Chandigarh Administration very kindly agreed to provide the space on the Sukhna Lake and ultimately in December, the peace monument was ready.

Rtn. President Vijay Wadhawan, Rtn. P.J. Singh and many other Rotarians supervised the construction of the peace monument which is made of granite and steel.

The Peace Monument was dedicated to the city on 12^th December 2003, by the world President of Rotary International, Mr Jonathan B. Majiyagbe who formally hand it over to the Administrator of UT, Chandigarh, His Excellency Mr Justice O.P. Verma (Retd), the Governor of Punjab.

The Pledge for Peace was signed by the then Mayor of Chandigarh Subhash Chawla and District Governor 2003-04 Kawal Bedi.

Rotary Club of Chandigarh has organized a number of events around the peace monument, and visiting Rotary dignitaries to the city make it a point to visit the place.

 

Objectives

The objectives of Peace Communities are :

• Respect for the life and dignity of every person, without discrimination or prejudice;
• Rejection of violence, in all of its forms and towards all people
• Resolution of conflict among people within local global communities;
• Reconciliation of difference and the pursuit of harmony; and
• Freedom of expression and cultural diversity.

 The Plaque installed on the peace monument at the lake reads:

 LET’S STRIVE FOR :

• COMMUNITY HARMONY
• CULTURAL DIVERSITY
• REJECTION OF VIOLENCE
• RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT
• RECONCILIATION OF DIFFERENCES
• FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Speech Mr Manoj Kumar Parida, IAS, at Rotary Club Chandigarh

Rotary PGI Serai

 

Rtn. Rajendra K. Saboo had been elected RI Director 1981-83, and it was during that time that the then Director of PGI, Dr. I.C. Pathak, described the problem of attendants of the patients who had to face the vagaries of weather and stay in the open or in car garages.

In 1982 with J.R. Khanna as club president,  decided to built the first serai for the attendants of the patients in PGI.

The club raised money and collected Rs.75,000 and on behalf of the club the first cheque for construction of the PGI serai in its campus was presented by the then Rotary International President Hiroji Mukasa to the Director of PGI Dr. I.C. Pathak.

The club made presentations in various schools and donation slips were printed and handed out in schools to raise funds for the project.  Special slide presentations were made using the actual photographs of the scenario and the living condition of attendants that moved the teachers and students.

In 1983-84, under president D.S. Swani, another Rs.1.75 lakh were raised and the construction of the ground floor was completed.  

The club intensified its fund raising efforts and raised Rs.50,000 through sale of coupons in schools and public, and another Rs.1 lakh by publishing a souvenir.  Another Rs.50,000 was raised through the premier show of the Amitabh Bachhan starrer “Coolie”.

During 1984-85, when R.M. Suri was the president, the club undertook a massive fund-raising drive in October 1984.  Rotarians wearing blue sashes and holding donation boxes, started going around the city, from shop to shop, and from house to house, requesting people’s contribution to the project.  Several teams of Rotarians fanned out in different parts of the city, including Sector 17, Industrial Area, and residential areas to collect fund.

The Club was able to raise Rs.2 lakh that helped in completion of the PGI serai that year.

On 28^th of June 1985, the keys to the PGI serai were handed over to Dr. I.C. Pathak.

The Club spent Rs.4.6 lakh on this project that brought relief to numerous attendants who accompanied the patients in PGI.

The Club has remained actively involved with this first major project of the Club and till date had been doing annual maintenance of the facility though its upkeep is the responsibility of the PGI. 

Rtn CJ Singh