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EXCLUSIVE

IT'S NEW YEAR TIMESalaam ! Hello ! Namaste !

ROTARY CLUB OF KANPUR GREATER ROTARY CLUB OF KANPUR GREATER

How very true! The fog end of the fag end of last year has gone by. The cold, wet and winter days

have stepped aside to usher in the warm, golden sun. And together with it have blossomed a spectrum of

chrysanthemums…and marigolds…and petunias…and pansies….and their annual floral siblings.

The New Year is here with new hopes and horizons.

This time, it is special since it has taken a great LEAP to arrive after a hiatus of 3 years.

MILESTONES brings this season's greetings to each one of you. There’s a lot to look forward to…

...the day has just begun!

So my dear readers,

Sit back, relax and read on...

clammy

20th November 2011 – The 6th board meeting was held at the Rose Garden of Cawnpore Club and was followed by a general body meeting. President Rtn. Archana Khaitan welcomed the board members present and the meeting centered on the forthcoming fundraising project – the play ‘Krishna v/s Kanhaiya’. The project directors Dr. Rtn. Atul Kapoor (administration), Rtn. Rakesh Kapoor and Rtn. Rajiv Bhartiya (sponsorship), Rtn. Anup Mehrotra (publicity), Rtn. Rishi Kapoor (hospitality) and Ann Madhu Kanodia (ticketing) reported that all necessary arrangements were under control.

The general body meeting that followed focussed on the election of the new board members for the Rotary year 2012-2013. Election Officer PP. Rtn. Vipul Jain responsibly conducted the selection process that was sprinkled with humour and lightheartedness. As has been the precedence of RCKG, all posts were decided upon unanimously. President Elect Rtn. Anil Agarwal presented the board to the members of RCKG.

President Elect Rtn. Anil Agarwal addressed the gathering too, congratulating the present board and promising to work hard “not only for ourselves, but also for each other”. Lunch under the warm winter sun befittingly ended this official club meet.

Meetings and Programs

On the cover A spontaneous photograph of 3 children from the Rajkiya Balgrah Balak (Bithoor)welcoming the New Year -

Salaam ! Hello ! Namaste !

For details please see page 6.

Seen from left to right:

Danish, Ankit and Ramkishore.( )

Seen behind is the 143 years old Lal Imli Clocktower, Kanpur made in red brick & wrought iron. The clock still ticks.

10th December 2011 – The birthday party at the Girls Balgrah (usually held in the last week of every month) was preponed this time. Annet Adya Narain was very keen to play host to the girls of Balgrah. She is presently studying in Ajmer and her holidays did not extend till the end of the month. Thank you, dear Adya, for this thoughtful gesture!

17th December 2011 – The much-awaited fundraiser play ‘Krishna v/s Kanhaiya’ had to be unfortunately called off at the 11th hour owing to lead actor Paresh Rawal’s ill health.

15th January 2012 – The 7th board meeting of RCKG was held at the residence of President Rtn. Archana Khaitan. The meeting was followed by dinner. Besides other issues, the agenda included discussion on the fundraiser and the Rotary District Governor’s forthcoming visit.

29th January 2012 – Husband's cookout - a picnic.

Monthly Birthday Celebrations at both Balgrahs.

4th Feb 2012 - Paresh Rawal is all set to perform in his widely acclaimed play ‘Krishna v/s Kanhaiya’ at the C.S.J.M. auditorium at sharp 7 p.m.

Pacemaker: The Pacemaker Project continues as before. After the last one reported in the previous issue of Milestones, 3 more implantations have been carried out successfully. That makes it a total of 6 in this Rotary Year. Thank you doctors, may you keep up the pace.

T.B.Clinic: At the T.B. centre Jeevni too, patients continue to flock in with faith and renewed hope. Continued success in healing them has been a booster to the efforts of our attending Anns. Kudos to you. (Every Tuesday 11:00 am to 01:00 pm)

Special Attention

2

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? -P.B. Shelly

Table Decor (15th Nov., 2011)Stunning! Spectacular! Superb!The table decor done by Ann. Manjari Gupta for the second Ann Wing project simply called for superlatives. 4 dinner tables were laid out in varying themes. The 1st one was with bright blue chips and white pearls for the celebration of a young person; the 2nd one with the colour combination of black and white was for ‘men only’; a 3rd table wore a completely traditional look with lit earthen lamps and banana leaves as table mats and finally the last one glittered with sparkling silver and gold table accessories!Ann Manjari’s friends and co-hosts, Ann Geeta Agarwal, Ann. Ragini Khanna and Ann Gunjan Narain stood steadfastly with the hostess in presenting a spread of delicacies. Ann Sangeeta Garg bagged the prize for sorting out the maximum number of multi-coloured chocolate 'Gems'. A remarkable turnout of 30 Anns graced the afternoon, which was in every way ‘a feast for the eyes’ !

Balgrah Report :

(14th November, 2011)

Birthday celebrations continue to be held enthusiastically by our club members over the past 2

months at both the Boys and the Girls Balgrah. We are thankful to Rtn. Rakesh Kapoor, Ann Namrita Tandon, Ann Amita Agarwal, Ann Ruchi Jain, Ann Sangeeta (Mahesh) Kapoor for being around to cheer the little children on their birthdays.

A CARNIVAL was held at the

Boys Balgrah on Children’s Day. The courtyard of the Balgrah was brightened with paper festoons and balloons. Game stalls – feed the clown, aim in ring, and a board game of car racing – were set up. A sack race was organized too. Ann. Sobby Saluja and Annet Vatsal Jain actively painted colorful tattoos on the equally enthusiastic boys. Freshly prepared snacks and gifts for all completed the joyous evening.

District Governor’s official visit (22nd January 2012)The District Governor’s team comprised of the Governor PHF Rtn. Arvind Kumar Srivastava, Chief District Secretary (Admin) P.P. Rtn. Rajesh Bharti and the Asstt. Governor of our Club Rtn. Arvind Manot. They arrived at around 4.30 P.M. at the Balika Balgrah, Swarup Nagar.

Along with our Club members, the team was taken around the Balgrah, following which the girls assembled and one of them recited self-composed poetries. Moved by the recital, the District Governor immediately presented a cash token of 1000 rupees to P.D. Ann Ruchi to sponsor the girls’ favourite ‘Pasta’ treat. He also announced a grant of Rs 11,000/- from the district fund to RCKG for this project. After a short speech with words of appreciation of RCKG for the works done in the Balgrah and blessings to the children, every one departed for the residence of P.P. Rtn. Rajiv Agarwal for tea and refreshments where Rtn. Rajiv himself and spouse Ann. Manju played the ever-gracious hosts.

Later at the ‘Jalsa Banquet Hall’ at Rave Moti, Sarvodaya Nagar, the venue for the governor’s official visit, the district officials completed the formal work of checking the reports, R.I. payments and details of various club activities and projects held during the year. Our President Rtn Archana Khaitan gave them the cheque for the district dues. The President also committed an amount of US $ 200 for the Polio program of Rotary International. Rtn. Rajiv Agarwal was quick to point out that as per R.I. guidelines in this scheme, one PHF member from the Club can be made on an additional payment of US $ 200. Rtn. Rajiv Bhartiya agreed to become a PHF under the scheme. The District Secretary P.P. Rtn. Rajesh Bharti was extremely impressed by the way our records had been maintained and presented so meticulously and commented that no other club in the district had done so. D.G. PHF Rtn. Arvind Kumar was all praise for RCKG and declared that it was undoubtedly one of the leading Clubs of the District who are into doing genuine work for the needy. A dinner in honour of the guests wrapped up the formal evening.

The clock tick-tocks and says...

IT’S NEW YEAR TIME!

Salaam!

Hello!

Namaste!

– Danish

– Ankit

–

Ramkishore

No matter how different this trio may seem from each other, there is one trait that

is common in them....They always greet you with immense warmth and a dazzling smile that wins your heart.

With the same enthusiasm, we are LEAPING into a LEAP year, one that comes every

4 years. A leap year, also known as the INTERCALARY or BISSEXTILE year, is a year

containing one extra day thus making

February 29th the Leap Day.

At one time it was customary to give forget-me-nots to anyone starting on a journey on February

29. Later they were exchanged among friends on that day. The colonists grew them for the

delightful spring bloom. The true forget-me-not is the symbol of faithfulness. The beautiful blue and

white colour and low growth makes the forget-me-nots very attractive as bedding plants, especially as a

carpet under tulips or other bulbs. It is sometimes called ‘mouse ear’ because of the shape of the leaves.

The Indian Borage is from the forget-me-not family. It is an annual herb that blossoms in blue, white and pink.

Known as the chota kalp in Hindi, it is called the adhahpushpi in Sanskrit.

The Leap Day carries a lesson too. It is faithful in its arrival on the calendar and in keeping its responsibility of

maintaining balance and harmony within it.

I say we make the Forget-Me-Not the "Leap Day Flower"!

13-year-old is an ardent cricket fan. He enjoys eating khoye

ki barfi and rabri too. When asked to name his favourite colour, he

promptl y picked out the vibrant red.

Musically minded is ever ready to join in a game of

Antakshari. This 12 year old loves the colour orange. When it comes to snacks and

sweets, its samosas and rasogullas that he enjoys most.

Outdoor games of kabbadi and hide and seek

thrill 12 year old . Keen to become a farmer

when he grows up, this son of the soil loves the yell

ow colour. It's the seasonal gajar ka halwa that tops his

list of sweets.

His drawings were his signature.

Readers could tell it was he merely by looking at his distinctive style. The

main reason for his uniqueness was that he attended the Sir J.J. School of

Art in 1943 only for a single day and decided not to take any formal art

training for the rest of his life. Another reason was that he always

maintained a diary of his writings.

Awarded the PadmaShree, he created the unforgettable Mrs. Nimboo Pani,

Ms. Fonesca, The Boss Godbole, Bundledass and Moon Swamy…

immortal characters that will stay etched in our hearts for a long long time

for he truly lived up to the length of his name -

Mario João Carlos do Rosario de Brito Miranda -

popularly known as Mario Miranda

(2 May 1926 – 11 December 2011)

one of the great Indian cartoonists of our times!

One from the archives

Dec. 2011 - Jan. 20126

Cover Story – Fiction

A New Year’s Gift

It was a cold, foggy winter evening, a few hours

away from the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

A little girl, about 5 years old, was standing

before a shoe store on a busy shopping street,

barefooted and shivering with cold. In the

neighbouring shop, a lady was buying New

Year gifts for her family and friends.

As she came out, happy and contented with her

purchase she was surprised to find the poor

child alone. Approaching her, she said in a

tender voice “My little girl, what are you looking at so earnestly in that window?”

“I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes” was the girl’s reply.

Touched by her innocence, the kind lady took her by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a

dozen pairs of socks. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to

her. She took the girl to the inner section of the store, knelt down, washed her small feet and dried them with a towel.

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing

a pair upon the girl’s feet, she then purchased her a pair of

shoes and gave her a packet of the remaining pairs of

socks.

She patted the girl lovingly on the head and said, “No

doubt my little one, you feel more comfortable now?”

As she turned to go, the astonished lass caught her by the

hand and with tears in her eyes, answered the lady’s

question with these words – “Are you God’s wife?”

If it's New Year, there has to be a New Year

resolution. But then,

“What exactly is A New Year’s resolution?”

“It is a ‘To-Do’ list for

the first week of January!”

The good thing about making New Year

resolutions is that you don't really need to

follow them. You just need to convince

yourself that you can change your ways for a

better future. After you have felt good inside,

you can then forget about it and return to

your good old self after a few days.

So, go ahead, reap the benefits of the world’s

best un-kept promise…and make some

New Year resolutions!

- Ann. Neeta MehrotraDec. 2011 - Jan. 20127

OOH

LA LA..

Bandhavgarh

Aug ‘11 : The Launch of the Big Picture “The Tiger Trail”

Dates, story lines, location, promotions, confirmations, reservations, signing. The “Stalwarts” scouting for “New Talent”...The concept caught the fancy of the RCKG members and the excitement grew. All shows were sold out (including tickets in Black) and a new challenge emerged…. More prints to be arranged in record time…. As always per tradition, RCKG grows from strength to strength. All arrangements completed in record time, and it was time for LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION……..

OOH LA LA.. THE JUNGLE STORY (Entertainment, Entertainment and more Entertainment)

Director: Rtn Archana Khaitan

Asst Directors: Sanjay-Kunwar-Sharad-RituThink Tanks (Research): Manisha –Sobby-Namrita

Starring : Sriram-Manju, Narendra-Sunita, Neeraj-Nivedita, Neeraj-Manju, Hemant-Minu, Sanjeev-Anu, Bharati

Introducing : Atul-Madhu, Ravi-Sandhya, Mahesh-Sangeeta, Rakesh-Sangeeta, Sanjay-Poonam

Child Artists : Vatsal, Yashima, Ritwik, Nehal, Devashish, Siddharth, Kunal, Kushagra- Shubhi-Surabhi-Pranay-Kushal

Cameraman : Vipul, Kunwar Assisted by Ruchi

Dialogues : Sandeep with inputs by Gopal

Outdoor Location : The Tiger Lagoon & Greenwoods Resort Bandhavgarh

Item Song Picturisation at : Marble Rocks Bhedaghat, Dhuandhar Falls, Jabalpur

Credits : Rajiv Agarwal, Vineet Chandra

Spot Boy : Okendra Singh urf Raju

GUEST APPEARANCE : The Elusive TIGER

22nd Dec'11 : A freak n foggy weather and erratic timing of the trains kept the team on tenterhooks. But our collective prayers were listened and adhered to. God is Great!

A pre-energizing meeting at Chung Fa, had the cast n crew in “high spirits”. Finally at 10:30 PM, the Shahenshahs were on board the Chitrakut Express. Edibles, eatables & ‘coolants’ were quickly circulated and a delicious potluck dinner enjoyed. “Train main khana khaney ka mazaa hee kuch aur hai”….. Hare bhare matar by Rakesh-Sangeeta & fresh rose Sandesh by Shri Ram-Manju, need special mention.

23rd Dec'11: 8.30 am. Arrival at Katni station where the unit had to disembark with the entire paraphernalia. The Big Challenge: the train stopped only for 5 mins. In record time, the transfer from the coach to the bus was smoothly orchestrated by Sanjay Chowdhary and his team.

An AC bus and Innova transported us to Katni MP Tourism Hotel. Rooms readied for morning ablutions & donning makeup were welcomed, specially by the dainty damsels. Spotted.. Star cameraman Kanwar already on the job, checking out the right angles n tangles, colours n clarity.

It was time for a hearty breakfast and the much needed caffeine cuppas, cutlets, omelettes and cornflakes. Thereafter, the Tiger Trailers boarded the bus for Bandhavgarh, 100 kms away. Some snacked, some snoozed but everybody talked. Anticipation and excitement to sight “The Big Cat” was already building up.

In record time, we were at our dream destination “The Tiger, Lagoon” and “Greenwoods Resort”. A “traditional” welcome, hot towels, refreshing drinks, steaming tea and brewed coffee greeted us in the sunny patio. Allotted rooms were explored & inspected and soon, the property reverberated with the audible oohs and aah’s ….No, No !! No editing here, Ma’am Editor….. The fortunate ones discovered a Very Pvt. Jacuzzi inbuilt in their cottages....

Notes and envious glances exchanged between the lucky and the unlucky ones - who had to make do with the humble shower. Not to be outdone, plans were readied on how to make the best use of the ‘open’ hot showers.

The hot and wholesome lunch was quickly devoured. The oldies retired, and the young at heart joined the Naturalist Mr. Devender for a “nature walk” to check out the area for possible sightings and shootings. The exotic birds, flora n fauna were sadly unseen and undiscovered. But with the renowned RCKG spirit, we trudged on, hoping for a glimpse of The Ultimate….

Evening tea, cookies and sandwiches, were a welcome sight for the brave hearts after their 6 km marathon. More notes exchanged on the status of viability and functioning of The J.

Warmly attired in killer Blacks n Browns, we were introduced to a wonderful documentary on “The Elusive Star-The Tiger". Prayers were whispered collectively to convert the “reel” into "real” for us…. Here the wild life enthusiast had spent a record 17 years to shoot a ‘kill’ but we the diehard optimists, hoped to accomplish it within the next 2 days.

Soon the stage was set for the Star Entertainer Sandeep to take over. The bonfire, sizzling snacks, freshly prepared Kheer and Jalebis paled in comparison to his lively, energetic and flawless performance. Sharad too added to the fun n frolic .

24th Dec'11 : A clear and sunny morning, motivated the ‘early bird walkers’, Archana and Bharati to motivate the others to follow suit. However, umpteen cups of the cheering brews, choicest cookies and more notes on The J were more welcomed and enjoyed.

Sitis and catcalls greeted the late comers for breakfast. They were forgiven for the delay as they had made full usage of The J. Over the multi cuisine breakfast more ‘juicy’ snippets were shared.

Guess what?? Hidden talent discovered !!!! Enter RCKG music maestros Mahesh-Rakesh & Party! What a soulful rendition of Bhule Bisre Geet. Beg, borrow or steal Sharad’s mobile, to have a sneak peek of the extempore singing sojourn.

Some refreshers, a bountiful lunch and we were aboard the Jungle Jeeps for the much awaited Big Moment-the meeting with the Badshahs of Bandhavgarh. 4 hours of pure excitement and anticipation. But alas! Lady Luck blessed only Sandhya-Ravi, Anu-Sanjeev who caught the Tiger by its whiskers and tail. The rest of us had to be satisfied with the run of the mill Jungle sightings. However, an awesome sight : a sprawling 1200 year old Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh Idols had us spell bound!

Hot cuppas and hotter pakodas took away some of the disappointment and soon it was time to rock n roll in Ritzy Reds-Glitzy Whites. What a Kodak moment it was !!!! Rtns-Anns dancing to the tunes of the local musicians and folk dancers. Our shy Hemant too “jigged” in. Later, the Flavour of the Month “Kolaveri D” took centre stage. A tongue tingling dinner and it was time to hang up our dancing boots.

25th Dec'11 : Xmas Day donned bright n clear. After feasting on a lavish morning spread, it was time to bid adieu to the superb hospitality of Mr. Rajender Lard and his team.

Aboard the bus and 4 hours later, we drove into Marble Rocks Bhedaghat. A picturesque view and delicious lunch later we were on our way to explore the majestic Marble Rocks. The hour long boat ride was sure shot value for time n money. The catchy, poetic running commentary of the guides was pure

fun & loads of laughter.

A Quick shopping spree and we were soon enthralled by the aerial view of the mighty Dhuandhar Falls from inside the cable car. On closer inspection, it was unanimously decided that the beautiful water fall gave strong competition to the Niagara Falls. This was The Perfect Place for an item number....

Tea n brew over, its time to complete the last leg of the journey : The Jabalpur Station. High spirits and hot dinner continued till the wee hours....

No -------- this is NOT THE END...

Breaking news : Ooh La La declared a super, jubilee HIT.

Rating : Outstanding !

The Cast n Crew celebrated the success at Status Club on 7th January.

CREDITS :

Director Archana for her 100% support and guidance.

The Cast n Crew for the wonderful chemistry, physics and biology.

Missed by all : Minu ( don’t know about Hemant though????)

Further, await the Best seller : The Jacuzzi Journal.

In Great Demand: Ooh La La Part 2

Film Analysis by

Ann. Ritu Bhargava

Hello everyone,

Accidental discovery, as history tells us, has its own charm!

In 1492, Christopher Columbus reached the shores of America while he sailed across the Atlantic on a maiden pursuit to find a sea route to the lands of spices.

In an effort to create the world’s strongest glue in 1968, Dr. Spencer Silver developed a binding agent so weak that critics wrote it off as commercially useless. However, the success of its application in the Post-It Notes proved them wrong !

Last month, as I paced idly in the main porch of the Kanpur Central Railway Station, waiting to receive my father, I too chanced upon an accidental discovery. Blatantly ignored by the rush of the average passenger and tucked away in one corner pillar for the past 84 years was a slice of history that, I am sure, many Kanpurites are unaware of even today... Have a look at the photographs below to find out for yourself...

This issue has been sponsored by

President -Rtn. Archana Khaitan09336101965khaitanarchana1@gmail.com.................................................Secretary -Rtn. Rajiv Bhartiya09839100726kishorebandhu@yahoo.com.................................................Printed at -Solar Press, Kanpursolarknp@gmail.comRtn. Gopal Bhargava

EDITORIAL BOARDAnn. Neeta Mehrotra 09839066950neetamehrotra31@gmail.com.................................................Annet. Kartikeya Mehrotra09792355444mehrotra.kartikeya@gmail.com

... and the next time you are on your way to catch a train, do spare a couple of minutes to visit this historical heritage of Kanpur and discover the Columbus in you !

27th December 2011 :

It was 1911 that King George V of Great Britain was to visit India. The great Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore was asked to pen a welcome song for him. Being a true patriot, Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana – a song that sung praises of his motherland India. It soon was an inspiration for the freedom fighters. On 27th December 1911, Jana Gana Mana was sung at the Calcutta convention of the Indian National Congress. It became a regular practice for any freedom movement. Originally written in Bengali, its Hindi translation was formally accepted as the National Anthem on 24th January 1950.That the National Anthem consists of 5 verses may come as a surprise to many. In the early post-independence era, the 2nd verse used to be sung too. It ran thus ...

Jai Ho !

The National Anthem completes 100 years

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iwjc if'pe vklsA rc flagklu iklsAizsegkj g; xkFkkAA**

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"Spot the 6 differences"

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