CHENNAI: “I want to help everyone with my music. I hope to perform across the world, especially in America ,” says Jyothikalai, clutching onto her trusty violin bag. An hour ago, the 22-year-old visually impaired and disabled youngster walked onto the stage, with aid from her mother Kalaichelvi, to collect a special recognition award at The Rotary Club of Chennai Towers’ (RCCT) Silver Jubilee Vocational Service Awards.
A standing ovation followed Jyothikalai and the clapping only halted when the smiling musician walked down from the stage and headed to her seat inside the brightly-lit Greams Hall in Radisson Blu Hotel on Thursday. Apart from mastering the keyboard and violin, Jyothikalai can recite 1,330 Thirukkural verses within three hours while simultaneously playing the keyboard. The university student later tells CE she has a knack for predicting days of the week with just dates (When prompted, she doesn’t hesitate: September 1 is a Friday and February 1 a Wednesday.)
Jyothikalai was among the seven crusaders who secured praise for using their “skills to make a positive impact in society,” explains club president Satish Jupiter adding that the individuals were identified based on criteria, carefully scrutinised by a panel, and then shortlisted. The guest of honour Rotarian Dr N Nandakumar, district governor of RI District 3232, hails the quality of awardees and adds that the event will go down in history as one of the best Rotary Club events in the district.
The other awardees included badminton player and world championship Sankar Muthusamy under the category of sports; AWCEM Foundation — a non-profit startup that deals with solid waste management solutions —for the environment; musician Uthara Unnikrishnan for the young achiever award; chief orthopedic surgeon at MN Orthopedic Hospital Dr Mayil Vahanan Natarajan under the category of medicine; dancer and scholar Dr Padma Subrahmanyam for the lifetime achievement award.
Dr Nanditha Krishna, who bagged the ‘for the sake of honour award’, recalls her journey starting at the CP Arts Centre in a dilapidated shed in Chennai in 1978, which gradually grew and provided livelihood to several women and craftspersons. “What is important is to give to society, whatever you can. I have given back to Mother Earth… Let’s try and give back by looking after her creations,” the scholar says.
‘Nature is a giver’
IPS officer and former lieutenant governor of Puducherry Dr Kiran Bedi — who landed in Chennai exclusively for this event — congratulates the winners and notes that they make “the country warmer, diverse, entertaining and richer.”
Light moments intersperse her speech as she jokes that this event was the most brisk and swift Rotary event. She also mentions that the south heads the culture in this country and “how they celebrate every culture and block the roads in Puducherry.”
Urging the audience to attend speeches by public figure Jaya Row on the Bhagwad Gita, Kiran says “nature is a giver… Row says flowers give off fragrance and it’s not restricted but open and free, the sun gives sunlight equally and doesn’t ask for anything in return, trees bear fruit, and rivers don’t drink their water. Rotarians, too are givers.” She mentions that she was a Rotarian at heart and the first woman inducted into the press club of Rotary.
According to the IPS officer, there is a CEO in every one of us. “What we need to do is successfully bring departments under each other. This is what Gati Shakti (Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan) aims to do and that is why many projects in India are getting fast-tracked. Our departments are mind, body spirit. When you give time to yourself, that’s when mind and body and spirit come together and you become CEO of the self.”
Speaking about plans to set up a Kiran Bedi Foundation and “copycatting” Rotary’s strategy, the former L-G mentions, “Impressed by the Rotary, something is happening in my life and it might bring a lot of goodwill and might bring revenue. This foundation will be on rotary lines and have a rotational president.”
The journey
The Rotary Club of Chennai Towers, established in 1998, has been dedicated to serving the economically backward sections by supporting them to improve their quality of life. The club is celebrating its silver jubilee this year.