RT 100 - Mens Cook Fellowship - Tr. Prabhat

Dear Tablers,



Greetings from MART 100 !!



We take great pleasure in informing you about our Fellowship on Friday the 21st of March , our fellowship convenors Tr. Sharad Jalan and Tr. Abhisekh came with a brilliant idea of having a men’s Cook out especially since we have recently inducted Tr. Rohan Sable who is from the Hotel industry and a fantastic Chef himself, though the idea was not very enticing to a few of us including me especially after looking at the exotic menu that they had decided to cook & more so as we hate Cooking, Anyways, we did go ahead with it. Please find a small Gist of the “Men’s Cook Out”



MEN’S COOK OUT



Two very New Tablers took it on them to go ahead with the Show Tr. Abhisekh & Tr. Rohan, the venue was Tr. Abhisekh Terrace at Anna Nagar, we were totally close to 25 people that night, and they had arranged an Australian Type Barbeque and Grill and the menu was as follows :





Starters :

Kasundi Mustard and Garlic Olive Oil marinated prawns,
grilled with herb & pepper crust
with honey & mustard mayo dip
***
Kasoori Murgh Malai Tikka,
tawa grilled and served with punjabi chutney



***
Cottage Cheese and Exotic Vegetables Teppanyaki with 2 Asian dipping sauces



Main Courses :

Vegetable Biryani
Chicken Nawabi
Rotis/ Chappatis
Raita
Kuchumber Salad.



Deserts :



Chocolates & Ice Cream.





We started the main cooking at around 7 in the evening , that was possible because Tr. Rohan and Tr. Abhisekh had started at 11 in the morning itself , they procured all the ingredients including the Meat and marinated the same and kept everything ready, The salads and the sausages was also kept ready, before we reached there , we were quite apprehensive about the Menu as they seemed very difficult but thanks to Rohan who taught us how to go about it in fact he did 85 % or more of the cooking himself , the starters was lip smacking and totally close to 9 Kgs of meat, 2 Kgs of Paneer and 5 Kgs of exotic vegetables were consumed in about 1.1/2 hours, The ladies were all sitting and gossiping and ordering their respective husbands to get the drinks for them, after about 2 hours and a full stomach , we got a little carried away and god knows whose idea it was to start a game of Tug-of-War between the ladies and the men, just as the struggle was at the heat of the moment our AVC Tr. Sakthi lost a grip on the rope and he fell on the ground backwards only to find Tr. Sam falling on top of him, wonder what happened in that few seconds between Sakthi and Sam , the next day Sakthi had a fractured wrist. he did not even realize at the moment that he has a fractured wrist, if that was not enough we started the next game, and that was KABADDI , we made two Teams combining of both Men & women or rather Boys & girls. That lasted for about 30 minutes of rigorous game and left a few of us panting and struggling to walk, few of us were left with Sprained ankles or bruised muscles. We then started a game of Antakshri with Tr. Rohan on percussion and all of us at Vocals. We ended the night close to 1 P.M. with a heavy stoamche and a light heart. All in all a great evening well spent , This was a small gesture from us Tablers to our lovely wife’s who cook for us day in and day out , this event made us realize the difficulties that our better halves go through every day , We certainly have made them happier and I am sure our tummies are getting better stuff these days and not to mention that we are benefitted below our Tummies as well.



We would sincerely like to thank the star cast of the evening – SPICE BOX Gourmet Catering Servicing.



Please find below a few pics of the event attached.



YIT,



Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav

Chairman – MART 100.

RT 100 - Fund Raiser Snaps

Switch it Off - Take Charge. Tr. Gautam Garg

Switch it off: An initiative for change




Act fast or face doomsday in 2015. That was the clarion call by climate scientists to us, earthlings. If we fail to act now that gloomy prophecy may well become true in seven years. In an effort to demonstrate that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better, an initiative titled Earth Hour calls on individuals and businesses around the world, to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday March 29, 2008 between 8 and 9 pm. Earth Hour is run by WWF, the conservation organisation. Last year more than 2 million Sydney residents joined Earth Hour by flicking the switch, turning appliances off stand-by and enjoying an hour of quiet darkness.

Some frequently asked questions and answers about Earth Hour…

What are the key objectives of Earth Hour?
There are two key objectives for Earth Hour. The first is to engage as many households, communities and business to turn their lights out for one hour on March 29, 2008 between 8 and 9 pm. The intent is for the event to be adopted by other residents, communities, businesses and governments around the world so they too can help demonstrate that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. The event itself will clearly demonstrate in participating cities, the connection between energy usage and climate change, showing that we as a broader community can address the biggest threat our planet has ever faced.

Why do we need to act?
Global warming is now the greatest threat the world has ever faced. Our continued reliance on electricity sourced from coal-fired power stations is causing a dramatic increase in the Earth’s temperature, resulting in rising sea levels, an increase in drought and severe storms, and massive changes to the environments we all rely on to survive. There is still time to change how our planet will look in the future. If we act now. For example, if all Australian households simply turned off unused lights and appliances on standby at the power point Australia’s emissions would be reduced by at least 5 million tonnes per annum. The greenhouse gas savings would be equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road for a year.

What do I need to do on the night?
The most important thing to do on the night is turn off your lights between 8 pm and 9 pm. There will also be events held on the night, check back later for event updates.

Does this mean I have to turn of everything in my home and use absolutely no electricity?
Not at all. The main point of this campaign is to show people and companies how easy it is to take action to avoid global warming. This does not mean you have to turn off your fridge, but we do encourage you to join us by switching off your lights and make a statement, as well as changing your habits in the long term.

Where is Earth Hour taking place?
In 2008 Earth Hour will be taking place in over 20 cities around the world, and the list keeps growing. To start this process the first Earth Hour focused on one of Australia’s, and the world’s iconic cities, Sydney. Thanks to the support of Earth Hour in 2007 other cities, both in Australia and internationally, have been asked join. And the campaign would be delighted if you can join by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, regardless of where you live.

How can businesses participate?
In Australia, if the commercial sector turned off lights when buildings weren’t in use and combined this action with other cost effective technology they could reduce lighting emissions by 70-80%. We encourage all businesses to participate in Earth Hour — to commit to turning off your lights during Earth Hour — and to tell your employees and customers that you’re taking part. We also encourage you to sign up to energy efficiency initiatives such as the 3CBDs Greenhouse Initiative to help achieve our goal of reducing emissions in your city or town in 2008.

Isn’t switching the lights off dangerous? What about public safety?
People have been asked to turn off the nonessential lights for one hour — no lights that affect public safety will be turned off. The organisers want everyone to enjoy Earth Hour in a safe and energy efficient environment.

If everyone turns their lights back on at the same time — will there be a power surge?
No. Energy companies and authorities say that turning all the lights back on won’t cause any issues.

How much CO2 will be saved during the event?
Last year we measured how much energy saved during Earth Hour in Sydney and achieved a reduction of 10.2 per cent (more than doubled our target of 5 per cent). But the main aim of the campaign is to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, making small actions everyday to achieve our goal in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.

What about after the event? What can I do then?
We all can take action everyday to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. There are two key objectives for Earth Hour. The first is to engage as many households, communities and business to turn their lights for one hour on March 29. By creating awareness and securing engagement of the broader community, the second objective is to measure the change in our greenhouse gas emissions over the following 12 months – aiming for a reduction in the year following Earth Hour

What candles should one use for the Earth Hour event?
If you plan on burning candles during Earth Hour, make sure you use 100 per cent beeswax candles which are gentler on our planet – smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic. They are also made of natural products, not petroleum-based materials, so they are effectively carbon neutral (the CO2 they emit has already been taken from the atmosphere to produce the wax).
If you’re using candles, though, make sure you take care. Here are some tips:



Candles should only be used under adult supervision.

Candles should never be left unattended.

Candles should be kept away from children and pets.

Extinguish candles before going to sleep.

Keep candles away from flammable liquids and gas-combustible materials.

Candles should be kept clear of any combustible materials such as paper, curtains, clothing and Christmas decorations.

Candles should not be placed in windows as they can be blown over. Blinds and curtains can also catch alight.

Candles should be placed on a stable, dry, heat-resistant surface away from drafts.

They also provide this handy downloadable guide: Candles and lighters: Safety for kids in the home

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Tr. Prabhat Sriwastav

Dear Tablers,



Greetings from Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 !!

We sincerely thank each one of you for being a part of our Mega Fundraiser “Voice Of India” on March 14th at Kamaraj Auditorium which had the very famous singers from the reality show at Star Plus “Amul Star Voice Of India” this show ran successfully for 52 weeks.



It was one hectic month of planning and implementation that took place but finally at the end of the day we can very surely say that all the effort was worth it. We had a good Audience close to 1550 people at the Auditorium clapping and cheering the Stars as and when they sang some peppy numbers, we kick started the event at 8 P.M. with a small Welcome Speech about Round Table India and the show went on till 11:30 P.M. a good 3.1/2 hour show, with about 35 songs totally sung , The Life was of the show was the Orchestra which was specially flown from Mumbai for the event and the fantastic Lights & Sounds, sincere Appreciation to Anuj Dinghra of Geedee Electronics to have given us such good Lights & sound system.



We have had excellent Publicity for RTI from this show and the reviews of the show was at Deccan Chronicle on Sunday the 16th of March and on Indian Express on Monday the 17th of March, both the Scanned copy are attached herewith for your reference.



We are also proud to announce that we have raised close to Rs. 9 Lakhs approximately from the show and the same will be put in our charity account and we shall built classrooms under the SSA scheme this year itself.



We would like to congratulate the Event Convenor Tr. Sharad Jalan for handling the event so well, trust me he has been 24x7 on the job and has gone about doing his job very meticulously. Kudos to you Sharad , please take a bow from all of us at MART 100.



We once gain thank each one of you for your support,



YIT, Cheers to 100% Friendship,





Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav.

Chairman.

Fellowship at RT 95- Tr. R Sriram

On 9th March Sunday , MMRT 95 headed out to KAFIOKE a karaoke joint on the beach at Tiruvanmiyur.

We reached the venue at 3 pm and the place was blasted apart by the sheer energy of MMRT 95. We had taken over the entire place for the evening. And man did 95 enjoy itself.

The evening was planned in such a way that the entire MMRT 95 family had a blast. The crooners went crazy at the Karoke bar. We started at 3 and had to be literally thrown out of the venue at 11. The kids displayed their singing talents and the more popular singing sensations amongst us set a new world record for non stop karaoke singing.





For the drunkards we set up a bar on the deck which is a nice balcony overlooking the Bay of Bengal.




And finally for the taste buds there was an exquisite arrangement of fine crafted CHAAT. We had taken our own caterer with us and instructed him to serve the finest Chaat in South India. He served the most delicious Pani Puri, Bhel Puri, Dahi Puri, Samosas , aloo Tikkis, Chola Baturas and Pav Bhaji.





We then invented the greatest new chaat invention of all time. VODKA PANI PURI. As per our instructions a separate drum was brought and the the pani mixed with vodka and served to the mouth watering clients. A real blast . When was the last time you got a kick from pani puri.

The ladies of our table organized some games for the kids and each kid got a huge box of chocolates as a take home memory.

A real wonderful evening enjoyed by the entire family of 95

The pics speak for themselves. This place is highly recommended and if any table needs to organize a Karaoke evening just give us a call and we will get you the best rates.

Cheers to the Spirit of 95.

Kalra

Holi Masti - Fellowship by RT 39. Tr. Amar S

RT 94 - Fellowship Report - Tr. Siva

Fellowship report for February 2008
After a relatively sedate January, where everybody was busy attending the National AGM, Fellowship activities returned to their usual active levels for February.

We had three major Fellowship activities during the month."Bad Taste’
To kick off the month we had the dinner meet of Tr. Nitin and Cr. Diya. The theme for the meeting was ‘Bad taste’ with awards being given to the worst dressed Tabler and Circler. As usual the 94 ers responded with tremendous enthusiasm. I’ve not seen any other bunch of people so eager to dress badly.


This different theme first time attempted by Table 94 indeed brought out the true colours of the Tablers and Circlers. This also once again demonstrated the spirit that binds the Table together. It was indeed a sight to see all the Tablers walking through the lobby of the hotel on the way to the Banquet hall leaving a trail of wide open mouths along the way. Ht Ketan won the competition hands down or should I say ‘Pants down!’ and Cr. Shalini swept the ladies award.

Needless to say the party went on to the wee hours of the morning with everybody going home with lots of colorful memories. ‘Pongal Fair’ In chennai traditionally every year the Industrial Trade Fair takes place (popularly called ‘Pongal fair’) at the Island grounds. This fair was an annual affair for a lot of us when we were kids. So this year we decided to revisit our childhood by having the pongal fair fellowship. One fine weekday evening, a big gang of us Tablers, Circlers and Twinklers landed up at the fair.

It was a sense of déjà vu for a lot of us. It was quite amusing to note that the parking ticket for the vehicles was around Rs. 25/- whereas the entry ticket was only Rs. 7/-!! Once we entered the fair, the ladies started heading towards the shops to buy various kitchen items and drapes for the bedroom. The men on the other hand were more interested in the street food. Having sent the kids to see dragula (actual spelling!) and other such attractions, the guys went to the cotton candy counter followed by giant appalams with chilly powder and chilly bajjis.

Once everyone had their fill of the street food, we headed towards the entertainment section of the fair with lot of games like Giant wheel, Merry-go-round and Tora-tora. The kids had their section of games as well.

While all this was going on our Chairman was having his portrait commissioned.
The final outcome of the portrait though was quite debatable, not knowing who the portrait actually resembled. It was duly censored and not allowed to be printed.
Now it was time for the grown-up kids to have some fun on the rides.

So off we went on the merry-go-round. It was unfortunate that we were not allowed to sit on the horses though. Some Tablers though were put on parental duty. Ho looked nervous because he was carrying his child for the first time in over a year. While
most of us twinklers included were smoking the rides, some were just smoking.

Thus we came to an end to another very different and innovative fellowship experience for the family of MCRT-94.

‘Valentine’s eve bash’
During the ‘bad taste’ party our LC Chairperson Shradha had approached Chairman Dinshaw and myself about having a surprise valentine’s bash for the Table. Since our regular business meeting was scheduled for 13th, we decided to have the surprise meeting on that day. A lot of ‘behind the scenes’ planning went on. Suddenly our Sq.legs decided that they wanted to host a joint meeting with us to celebrate all the national awards won by the Table at the recently concluded National AGM. So after a lot of discussion we decided that the meeting will be held
at OPM the recently opened Night club at Hotel Accord. So all Tablers were informed that the Sq. legs were hosting the business meet for us as a tribute for winning all the awards. A day before the meeting, we learnt that President Tr. Ajay Handa would also be in town and would be joining us for the meeting. It was also a privilege that along with Ajay, IPP Tr.Shiv and Area chairman Tr. Rajesh were present at the meeting.

The meeting went on normally till we reached any other matter. Sq.leg Raghuraman gave a very emotional and moving toast to the Table also explaining to many of the youngsters the significance of winning the best balanced activity award at the National AGM. Then suddenly the lights dimmed, the door opened and in walked a lot of ladies in white tops. They went straight to the dance floor and started dancing.
It took a while for the boys to realise that it was our Circlers who were putting on a surprise show for them. Once it sunk in there was a general feeling of disbelief as none of them had any clue about what was happening. It was indeed a very splendid effort on the part of the girls who had been practising in secret for over a week under the noses of the guys. After this it was ‘party on’ to surprise the ladies back. Chairman had organised flowers and chocolates to be given to them. One by one each of the Sq.legs and Tablers were asked to escort their better halfs to the stage and present them with flowers and chocolates.

These flowers and chocolates were also given to President Ajay, IPP Shiv and Area Chairman Rajesh to be given to whomsoever they were pleased with. Though Shiv had to give it to Meena as she was also present at the venue. Area chairman Rajesh was later heard remarking that ‘Thank God! None of the Tablers told their wives that they were going for the Table meeting and went elsewhere.’ All I can say Area
chairman is that our boys are not as smart as you. Once the presentation was over, and the meeting hurriedly shut the party began in earnest.

Inspite of the fact that it was a week day, the party went on till late night with all the Tablers very pleasantly surprised by their respective wives for Valentine’s day. The final fellowship event was Tr. Rajit’s dinner meet held at Geoffrey’s, the pub. The whole pub was taken up by Tr. Rajit. We had a Ukranian band playing exclusively for us. Needless to say the party continued on till very late.

Thus concluded an action packed February for Table 94 where we had some very istinct and
different fellowship events which resulted in further bonding amongst the Table.
Prepared by:
Tr. M. Sivaramakrishnan
Fellowship convenor-MCRT 94

RT 95 - Publicity - Tr. Vishal Jain

RT 100 - Publicity - Tr. Prabhat

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Tr. Prabhat

Dear Friends,



Greetings from MART 100 !



Please find attached the write up of our Fund Raiser in today’s HINDU Newspaper in the 5th page of Metro Plus. The tickets are fast selling request you to please call the convenor for the event Tr. Sharad – 98840 91515 or yours truly for blocking your tickets.



Request all Table Chairmen not to have any programme planned for their Tables on March 14th. Hope to see you all in big numbers for the Voice of India Show on March 14th.



Cheers and we expect 100% Friendship,



Tr. Prabhat Sreewastav.

Chairman.

98400 51106

RT 181 - Publicity Initiative - Tr. Rajiv Shah

Publicity by MKRT 181 of Freedom through Education
Hi Tablers,
Greetings from MKRT – 181.
We wish to inform you of the 4 hoardings put by MKRT 181 to publicize the round
table India motto freedom through education. We have put up these hoardings on
the old mahabalipuram road in between the stretch of Taramani and Sholingnallur.
The reason we selected these location was because this stretch is the most happening
area of the city with young IT guys moving in and out of the area. This stretch is
also the most happening in terms of government focus and development.
Another reason for having chosen the above mentioned venue is the target audience.
Most of the IT guys are young and they are the future prospects of round table
India.
This was an exercise purely for to enhance the goodwill and reputation of round
table India and also inform people of our eminent brand ambassadors. The
campaign would be up for display for a month.
The hording size is as follows:-
1. 50*30
2. 30*20
3. 20*30
4. 30*30
30*30 50*30 20*30 30*20
Thanking you,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman 07-08
Madras Knights Round Table 181
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Publicity by MKRT 181 of Freedom through Education
Hi Tablers,
Greetings from MKRT – 181.
We wish to inform you of the 4 hoardings put by MKRT 181 to publicize the round
table India motto freedom through education. We have put up these hoardings on
the old mahabalipuram road in between the stretch of Taramani and Sholingnallur.
The reason we selected these location was because this stretch is the most happening
area of the city with young IT guys moving in and out of the area. This stretch is
also the most happening in terms of government focus and development.
Another reason for having chosen the above mentioned venue is the target audience.
Most of the IT guys are young and they are the future prospects of round table
India.
This was an exercise purely for to enhance the goodwill and reputation of round
table India and also inform people of our eminent brand ambassadors.
The hording size is as follows:-
1. 50*30
2. 30*20
3. 20*30
4. 30*30
30*30
Thanking you,
Rajiv Shah
Chairman 07-08
Madras Knights Round Table 181

Fellowship Report - PRRT 104 - Tr. Srikanth

PONDICHERRY RIVAGE ROUND TABLE - 104
FELLOWSHIP AT YERCAUD
&
JOINT MEET AND SOCIAL OF PRRT – 104 SCRT 84 AND SMART 175
22ND FEBRUARY 2008 TO 24TH FEBRUARY 2008
11 Tablers, 6 circlers and 11 children from PRRT – 104 had an outstation trip to
Yercaud.

Day –1
On 22nd February 2008 after lunch all the 28 heads boarded an exclusive A/c bus to
Yercaud from Pondicherry. The plan was to start at 01.00 p.m., but due to delay in
arrival at bus the journey finally started at 06.00 p.m.

En-route every one spent their time playing dumb charades and Antakashari. The
games were played between the Ladies and tablers. The tablers showed their talent of
miming and were able to match the ladies. The children spent their time playing games
of their own and eating all the way. The tablers of course started their drinks
immediately after the bus started the journey. En-route every one had dinner at a dhaba and quietness prevailed for the rest of the journey. The bus finally reached our destination Yercaud at 02.00 a.m. The cottages were ready and every one crashed
immediately after 8 hour-long drive.

Day - 2
Few ladies and tablers were early risers and went on a morning walk. After a late
breakfast, all the 28 persons had a morning sightseeing trip of Yercaud in 5 Maruthi
vans. View points, temples, boating and several photo sessions later every one marched into a resort owned by a Salem Round Tabler – SKY ROCO which had a great Sky walk. This Skywalk is a over hanging bridge with a glass surface and you practically walk into the valley. We all had an excellent lunch well co-ordinated by Tr. Krishna of RT 28, his brother Tr.Jethish of RT 84 and their father a Square Leg. But the fellowship of tablers continued all morning with one of the Maruthi vans converted as a pantry van fully loaded with spirits and snacks.

After lunch it was siesta time

Evening – it was a different location again – well thought of by Tr. JP
Lake Forest Resort (Club Mahindra) – where every one danced into the night and were
joined by two ladies staying at this resort. The dancing had to end due to ompulsions
from the resort management, and then we came to know that the two ladies dancing with
us were circlers of Madurai. Immediately out came their husbands – the infamous Past
Area Chairman Sq Leg Suri. This was a moment for celebrations and more spirits flowed
while the ladies exchanged their friendship mementos – “beer cans” in line with the LCI theme. After a hectic day every one crashed back into their rooms.

Day –3
Early risers had a game of badminton and stretching. After breakfast we had to leave
Yercaud for Salem where we had scheduled a joint meet with Salem tables.The joint meet of PRRT – 104, SCRT 84 AND SMART 175 was organized at “DOCTORS THOTTAM” a popular farmhouse at the foothills of Yercaud.Tr. “ICE” Sarvanan of SCRT 84 was there on the main road to receive us and guide us to the farmhouse. The Salem tablers took us all by car from the main road to the farmhouse.

The farmhouse was fabulous with mango trees and green everywhere. The theme as
decided by the ladies was “Red and White”. PRRT – 104 family were dressed true to the
theme. A joint meet was held where Chairman Srikanth of PRRT – 104 had the privilege of inducting a new tabler into SCRT 84. After the meet it was time for fellowship while the ladies of Pondy and Salem exchanged their friendship baskets. The Salem Tablers had organized a special caterer “Bullet Basha” for the biryani and we understand his biryani is a specialty in that part of the country.

After several spirited rounds and delicious food, PRRT – 104 family wearily climbed back into the bus for their journey back to Pondy. Reached Pondy at 10.00 p.m. and were received by Tr. Amar who could not make it, he made up by organizing dinner for the 28 weary lot.

This was a trip, which gave us an extended family, a ever-lasting friendship and bonding. This trip has brought us tablers, circlers and children closer than ever and memories of a lifetime.


S.SRIKANTH
CHAIRMAN PRRT – 104

RT 30 - Inauguration of Classrooms - Tr. D Walia

RT 30 - Honeywell JRET School Project - Tr. D Walia

30's Volleyball Mornings - Tr. Bob, RT 30

Hi Tablers

Thank you Table 95, You were of great help - Top Gun was just a catalyst I should say.

What started out as practice sessions for the Volley Ball Tourney has turned out to be a great fellowship opportunity to the tablers of Area 2. Tablers from 3, 10, 30, 100, 124, 159, 162, 181 have been meeting on a very regular basis at the St Georges School, in the early mornings to play volley ball. Amazing cameraderie and sportsmanship is being witnessed during the games. In fact from playing only over the weekend mornings, the tablers have started playing regularly on the weekdays too.

Fitness and Fun on the go for the tablers i must say...

A few photos for your eyes. The imposing and historic St Georges Shcool in the back ground makes for a great visual treat.

Bobby

--
Varindar Singh Sahney
National Committee Member - Supply House
Round Table India -NEx 0708
09840038960

30 at the Idol's - Tr. D Walia

RT 100 - Fund Raiser - Publicity - Tr. P Sriwastaw

The Ant & The Grasshopper - Tr. Satya R - RT 30

Ant & Grasshopper

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.




Indian Version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving.


NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

ARUNDHATI ROY stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

MEDHA PATKAR goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper
(many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for "Bharat Bandh" in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath '.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice'.

CPM calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley ..

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India ...

As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the Grasshoppers, India is still a developing country!!!

Ashokspeak.

Dear Ajay & Gautam,

It is indeed very sad to hear the demise of one of our brothers. I might not know him but just being a part of Tabling makes me feel like I hv lost someone dear.

I must appreciate the efforts taken by some people like you & Gautham to address such issues.
Being educated & bestowed with all that one can ask for we tend to take life & warnings for granted.

I have seen & witnessed irresponsible & indisciplined behaviour & activities of our very own Tablers in our Area to my utter dismay -

1. Reckless driving incl reverse.

2. Pride in over speeding @ speeds in 3 digits .......sometimes with least disregard to co passengers & most of the time their own children

3. Pride in racing in the streets with thousands of people arnd them. Hotel to home in 5 minutes covering some 60 kms sending sms' simultaneously.

4. Seat belts are considered as shameful & sometimes interprets to being a inexperienced & a chicken of a driver. Hw many Tablers or even Circlers wear seat belts?? A handful perhaps.

5. Making children drive their cars @ the age of 5....placing them on the laps while they drive

6. Child seats - Hw many even hv heard of such a thing??

7. Then the famous drunken driving.......etc

I am sure every Table in our viscinity has got such nuts in em....atleast a hand ful.

I can partially understand someone who dies irresponsibly if uneducated but v r all highly educated?? whats our xcuse???

Shouldn't v be responsible in our ways? What can Tabling do about such an attitude?
Conduct a HRD Program??? To start with thats fine. I suggest expulsion of such nuts from the movement......isn't jeopordising urself with least regard to ur own life & even more disregard to people with u, a serious offense?? If proven (2day everyone hs got cameras everywhere) what can v do?? that includes chairmens ofcourse. how abt suspension for a month??

I would say avoid inter city car travel as far as possible......it is a proven fact that more people die on the road than any other medium of transport.
Trains literally connect every city in our Country....and now planes r getting there too. All dates r planned well in advance as far as our Movement goes...so why not apex fares??......bulk booking fares?? If u still want to hit the road (long distance), pool in money and take out a luxury coach which comes with more than one can ask for ......driver, cleaner to clean ur puke aftr parties........, video, luxury reclining seats, jacuzzi...(ok nevermind that) what more do v need?

The Tabler reading your mail ends his responsibilty by fwd'ing the same to his fellow tablers. The buck shud nt stop here.
Perhaps an oath shud b taken & some norms nforced...some national or area level competition in such safety aspects.

Talking abt ethics....how about clealiness & hygiene in one's homes....offices?? how abt taking care of health? excercise??? why stop with simple traffic violations?? hw abt patience? standing in cues? spitting in public?? list is endless.

Can't v all put our minds to show others what a group of people can do. Besides like I always say .......
" A SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE STRIDES IN IMPROVING HUMANITY……AS A MATTER OF FACT IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS"
I read ur mails & wanted to share my thoughts with my brothers rather than watch life go past me.

Rgrds
Ashok
C 162:)




On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 3:10 PM, National President: Tr. Ajay Handa <roundtableindia@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Friend,

"The loss of a friend is like that of a limb...time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired"

We are all greatly saddened to hear of the heart-breaking news of Prospective Gautam Rai's demise...nothing will ever fill this void in the lives of his family. I sincerely request all to pray to God Almighty to give his family the strength to bear this great loss & grant peace to his soul.

I really hope that you have gone through the e-mail sent yesterday afternoon by our National HRD Convenor - Tr. Gautam Rao. (refer below)

The mail seeks to ensure the safety of Tablers and their families by communicating to you many different ways to be safe while driving or being driven. As mature individuals, we must pay heed to simple safety tips....tips that will ensure you celebrate more birthdays:) As Tablers, we like to have fun. Let us do the right things so that all of us can party well and still drive (be driven) to our homes safe and sound. Always remember, you have a responsibility to ensure 'road risks' are managed responsibly while traveling to and from Tabling events and at all other times as well.

We are working to develop a HR module on the topic of Driving & Safety. This will be sent to Table Chairmen and Secretaries so that it can be conducted at your Table meeting. In an effort to raise awareness about road safety amongst the tablers of Round Table India...we have decided to declare the month of March as - "Driving Safety Month"!!

All tables across RTI are urged to discuss this topic at their meetings and to conduct the Driving & Safety module.
Please go through Tr. Gautam's email, print it, and follow as many points as you can.
Drive safe my friend...we owe it to our families!
warm regards,
your friend,
Ajay

Tr. Ajay HandaPresidentRound Table IndiaEmail:ajay.handa@thehanshotel.com,Mobile: +91 9845251160Work: +91 836 2374770Skype: aj.handa

From: NHRD Convenor: Gautam Rao
To: RTI
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:22 PM
Subject: URGENT - Safety message for all Tablers and their families
Dear Fellow Tablers,

This is a very long email and I ask for your patience and understanding. It may very well save your life or the life of a loved one.

I began writing this email to all of you within hours after the last rites were performed for Gautam Rai, a prospective of a Table in Hyderabad. Somehow, witnessing the finality of his passage from this world, I felt an urgent need to reach out to all Tablers as soon as possible.

Gautam had been sitting in the back seat of a car that was returning from the MTM in Hyderabad in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 17th when the car went off the road and slammed into a tree at high speed. It is believed that he was rendered brain-dead almost instantaneously from the force of the collision. He was in the ICU for a little over a week, but never recovered brain function. He passed away on February 24th.

Gautam Rai's small children no longer have a father. His loving wife, Pooja, no longer has a husband. His mom, who had lost her husband many years ago, has now lost her eldest son. We pause to remember the talented, enthusiastic and warm man that he was and we mourn the loss of a life with so much potential. This has been an immense tragedy – and the price will be paid by many people, for many years.

This kind of fatal accident often involves multiple causes. Gautam Rai was not wearing a seatbelt and the spot/road where the accident occurred has a sharp curve and has been the scene of other fatalities. Alcohol is not thought to have been a factor in this accident. Regardless of the specific circumstances of this accident, a life has been lost and other lives have been shattered.

I write to all of you today because these kinds of tragedies are avoidable. I do not write this email to assign blame or responsibility for this specific event. The horrifying reality is that by not adhering to simple and prescribed safety rules we regularly put ourselves, our friends and our loved ones at risk for the same kind of trauma. This is even more so on Friday and Saturday nights when we often imbibe large quantities of alcohol. It's a miracle that fatal accidents have not happened more often.

Many people have tried to cope with this tragedy by discussing fate and destiny. I do understand how faith in God can help the family in their time of grief. However, I also feel that this faith is not a substitute for personal accountability. There are times when we have done everything we can to safeguard ourselves or our loved ones – and something bad still happens. This does not mean that we should say that it is in always in God's hands and therefore "Whatever will happen, will happen." Actually, it is said that "God helps those who help themselves". In this context, that means that it is our responsibility to provide for our own safety, and after we have done so to the best of our ability, then we can seek God's blessing and support.

This tragedy has been on the minds of many Tablers in Hyderabad. We had a serious email discussion on driving & safety in our Table E-Group. A number of good ideas were suggested. I have done further research online and have expanded on and organized ideas into the 4 categories below. I hope that you will adopt at least a few of them and that they will be of help.


Care of children in the car

Strictly use baby seats as appropriate – right size, facing the right direction, always use even if the child is crying and you want to hold him/her in your lap.
Know which age/size baby child should seat in the front seat if the car has an airbag – airbags can kill small children.
http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/index.htm
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071113044921AAVwUlN

http://www.ou.edu/oupd/kidseat.htm - talks about air bags and child safety
See the above links and the below points– but please do further research of your own on the Web or through experts before buying/using child seats. The actions have serious consequences and I am not an expert on this.
Until your child reaches a weight of 10 kgs, you should use a backward facing car seat in the back seat of your car.
Children should remain in a forward-facing booster seat in the back seat of your car from 10 kgs until they reach approximately 18 kgs and 4 years of age
Older children sitting in the car should wear seat belts at all times – whether sitting in the front or in the back
Never, ever drive with baby in lap – if hit from behind, you will crush it against the steering column.
Baby should not be in the lap of the passenger either – if airbag is triggered (even through a small collision), baby can be killed from force of airbag. Please buy, install and use baby seats!

General Safety Tips while driving

Always wear your seat belts – this applies to both the front seat and the back seat. The law should not guide this – self-preservation should guide this. – The person driving must take responsibility to ensure that all are wearing their belts.
Think more about safety features in the purchases of your next car. Also, insist that rear seat belts be tested before driving away from the showroom.
Even if wide awake and completely sober – drive within reasonable speeds. I cannot tell you what this is, but it is surely less than what most of us drive at when we are presented with relatively empty roads in the late night/wee hours of the morning.
Try not to drive fast when in an unfamiliar car model or new car for the first time on a highway. You will not be used to its behaviour and that will lose you precious seconds in a tight situation, when your reflexes need to work best.
Similarly, try not to drive fast on roads with which you are not that familiar.
Keep in mind the role that fatigue plays in deciding how late into the night we should party at far away venues. Fatigue can be as deadly as alcohol.
Always drive slower at night as visibility is significantly less at night.
Be very careful of dangerous spots in the road – especially sharp curves. Note them while driving to a party, so you are aware of them when driving back.
"Speed Kills"– You should never speed!! Ask yourself "It is more important that I arrive a few minutes sooner or is it more important than I arrive"?
Remember that when we drive, we hold the lives of many innocents in our hands – this includes passengers in our car, other drivers/passengers as well as pedestrians on the road

Suggestions to help avoid having to drink and drive

Many of us find ourselves in a situation where we have to drink and drive. While drinking is not the only cause of fatal accidents – it increases the risk considerably. Here are some suggestions to avoid having to drink and drive.

The Table can pick a certain number of "designated drivers" for a given party. This list should take into account who lives near to who and Tables should make sure that the list is rotated often so that no one feels that they are always asked to miss out of the alcohol.
Existing drivers can be paid Rs.200 to Rs.300 (or any other amount) per night 'hardship allowance' when you plan to drink or will be out very late. At least do this on Saturday nights - this shouldn't be too much hardship for them as they can rest late on Sunday and they certainly appreciate the extra income.
People can hire a (or an additional) driver on a full-time basis. I'm sure most people could benefit from this in other aspects of their life as well - work, transporting children, etc.
One (or more) Sumo/Qualis with driver can be hired at Rs.800 - Rs.1200 per night for late night events. This can transport as many as 8 people and minimize the distance that they have to drive. Given the amount of money we Tablers spend on vacations and fun, should we have to really think so hard about something like this?
Swallow our pride and request a drop home if we do not feel that we can drive safely.


Tips to reduce danger/risk if one still chooses to drink and drive

As mentioned above, the best thing you can do for your safety when drinking or sleepy is to let someone else drive. Unfortunately, many of us will still not do this. There are still things that we can do to be safer:

Simply decide that you will drink less if you know you must drive that night.
Eat some snacks before you have your first drink and only drink small (30ml) drinks through the party.
In between alcoholic drinks, have a glass of water or soda or any non-alcoholic beverage.
Stop drinking at least 1 hour before driving and eat some food and drink lots of water.
The night cap, one for the road, is the worst thing one can do. Never force someone to have that last drink.
If someone has had a lot and still insists on driving, force them to have lots of COFFEE. It is common practice in many countries for people to end an evening which involved alcohol with a large cup (or multiple cups) of coffee. The caffeine can help!!! If you don't like coffee, then drink 'Red Bull'.
If one is still going to drink and drive, never drive above 45kmph (even if you find it boring). The slower the car is moving, the more time the driver has to react to changes in conditions. Research has shown that, after drinking (even moderately) or when sleepy, our reflexes slow down and we cannot react as fast.
If you are going from one party to another and you are already high – drive home instead.
Admit when sleepy or high while driving. It is better to change drivers or wait on the side of the main road with flashers on than to risk an accident.
If you start out and feel that you should not (or cannot) continue, pull over to the side of the road. Take the keys out of the ignition and call back to the party and ask for help from a more sober person.
If you absolutely can't get help, park the car on the side of the road, lock the doors, put on the parking light and take a small nap.
Insist on all passengers in the car wearing seatbelts at all times. If there are no rear seat belts in the car don't carry passengers until you have them fitted.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY!!

There are surely many more ways that you can be safe and I encourage you to add to this list.

I urge all of you to please take precautions to safeguard yourselves and your loved ones when driving – whether or not alcohol is involved. Please begin this instant – start by ensuring that seat belts are used in the front seat and in the back seat of the car at all times. This alone will help immeasurably. Go through the list in this email and decide which of these apply to you and which of these you are willing to do.

A more detailed module on safety (with additional resources and links) will follow, and it is my sincere hope that this module can be taken up by every Table in India during their business meeting in the month of March.

We all know that accidents can happen regardless of what WE do, but please follow these steps and at least you can significantly reduce the risk of an accident happening.

Best wishes and warm regards

Gautam Rao
National Convenor: HRD and Leadership Development
GautamRao.RTI@gmail.com

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