OFFICIAL CLUB VISIT BY DG DR. MANISH MOTWANI
Good afternoon, friends. What a pleasure it is to be here in this lovely Club for the Official Club Visit, which is not just my responsibility, but a pleasure also. Friends, Will Durant said, and I quote, we are what we repeatedly do. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not just a one-off act; it becomes a habit.
Friends, in my practice as a bariatric surgeon, we have been seeing this truth every day, 365 days a year, in the operating theatre. We do not just try to do good. We follow the best practices. We ensure that we have all our steps in place, protocols in place, and then, eventually, what we find is we are there to give results. Consistency comes when we repeatedly do the best things.
Standing here, my friends, in Rotary Club of Bombay, a Club chartered in 1929, what we have seen is that consistency, compassion, and excellence have become a habit for this Club, not just over one year, two years, or 10 years, but almost a century. Friends, a big round of applause to each one of you. Thank you so much, my friends, for doing so much for Rotary, for doing so much for the community.
Inspired President Bimal, inspired Club Honorary Secretary Farhat, Assistant Governor today Kunjan, our senior Past Governor and Past TRF Trustee Gulamji, District Learning Facilitator and Past Governor Sandip, our Associate District Secretary for District Leadership Plan Ajit Dubey, Rotarians, Inner Wheel members, Rotaractors, Interactors, and my dear friends, it is an absolute pleasure to be here today on this particular day when I have come here for a purpose.
I have come here for the Official Club Visit, and this is not a Club, friends, where we have come to evaluate performance. This is a Club where we have come primarily to see how the Rotary Club of Bombay can participate with Rotary District 3141 to ensure the district performs better and is taken to the next level. So, thank you so much, friends, for the warm hospitality and the welcome here.
But, friends, when we come for an Official Club Visit, it comes with a lot of responsibilities. Am I right, Satyan? You have been through this. There are certain important things that we need to do, and these are the things that have ensured that Rotary, over so many years and decades, has fulfilled the task that is expected of it. Over so many years, Rotary has sustained itself, grown, and impacted communities because of certain administrative protocols. And yes, these administrative protocols are supposed to be measured in every Club.
Friends, it is said that if it cannot be measured, it cannot be improved. I am so happy to say that the OCV team of the Club, right from President Bimal, Honorary Secretary Farhat, and the entire team responsible for this, right from your charter to your audit reports to your trust papers to your compliances, this Club is 100 per cent compliant. Thank you so much, team for leading by example. This applause, my friends, is not just because they (OCV team) have done things so well. It is because they have to live up to the expectations that the Rotary Club of Bombay has from them. Thank you so much, team for doing everything in such a diligent manner that we are all proud of you.
Friends, when it comes to paperwork, yes, we need to do a lot of important things that show the level of integrity among all of us. But what comes beyond that is also to evaluate performance. At the Rotary Club of Bombay, we do not come to see whether you are performing well or not. My purpose in coming here to see the performance is to understand whether my President Bimal is performing to his capacity. Am I right, Aradhana? So the first thing that I asked her was how much time he spends at home. Because if she says he is spending more time at home, that means he is not doing as much as he is supposed to. I got a back-end report which says that yes, he is hardly seen at home. So thank you so much.
But friends, the Club has been doing some lovely projects, and I feel you all do not just do projects, you create institutions. Whether it is the Bhavishya Yaan project, the Talwada Medical Centre, the paediatric heart surgeries that you do, the IT labs that you create, or the Taparia School and the college that you are working on, each and every project that you undertake is not for a year. This is a club that does projects year after year, creates continuity, and creates impact.
One thing more peculiar, my friends, is that while we create a large number of continuity projects and continue them, here we also have a president who, like every year, has come up with some brilliant new projects. I am sure those projects will also be continued over a period of time, like the paediatric cancer treatment project, the paediatric neurosurgery projects that are going to come up, the Taparia new wing in the college, and the Dharamshala 2.0. Everything that you do comes with so much commitment.
The CLP that functions in this Club ensures that every member in the committee, whether a chair, vice-chair, or member, takes responsibility and ensures that the project is taken to its logical conclusion. I was there the other day when Miral was showing us around the Dharamshala project during your third anniversary celebration. Every sentence he spoke reflected a sense of ownership, saying “my Dharamshala, my doctors, my patients”. That sense of belonging was so evident. I was truly happy and thrilled, because if each one of us has that kind of responsibility towards a project, then the project is bound to grow.
So, friends, this was about what you all have been doing and the type of projects, and to give it a value, Rs. 14.92 crores have already been contributed, and another Rs. 14 crores are to be contributed in this very year. That makes Rs. 28.92 crores of projects. I think, Sandip, Gulamji, you are only about Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 crores short of what you could eventually achieve. This is a question mark; I need an answer. Vineet, you will do your best. And your best is much bigger than what I have quoted, so that is fine.
But friends, the only concern for me was that while we are doing around Rs. 28.92 crores of projects completely from this Club, I was surprised that the total was only $347,000 through the Foundation. I think we need to relook at that, Nirav. There are certain developments, and I am very happy to share some internal news. We are doing another Rs. 7.5 crores through the Foundation this month and possibly another Rs. 1.5 crores through the Foundation next year. Rotary Club of Bombay, staying true to the reputation of this wonderful Club, is again going to be a $1,000,000 Club this year. Thank you so much.
But friends, looking at the size of the Club and the kind of people we have, what a governor is most pleased with, more than the Foundation, at least a person like me, is membership. I am so happy to say that we have increased from 368 members to 412 members in one Rotary year, 2025–26, adding so much value, experience, and energy to the Club. We are all so proud of you.
The Club has definitely performed extremely well, and I do not know if many of you are aware that the Club has contributed a total of $8.8 million to the Rotary Foundation to date. We have around 14 Arch Klumph Society members, several major donors, and more than 312 Paul Harris Fellows from this club.
At this point of time, my friends, my simple request on behalf of Nirav and on behalf of Sandip and on behalf of Vijay Jatia ji, who have told me that one thing we are not currently into is that this Club is not a 100 per cent PHF club. If not now, then when? If not this Club, then which? Friends, a simple request to all of you, this is the Rotary Club of Bombay, which is going to lead the District, and which leads the District by example. If I have to go to other clubs and say that you have to be a 100 per cent PHF club, you remember that Amitabh Bachchan’s dialogue where he says, “Pehle unse sign le ke aao.” Similarly, friends, if I have to tell any other club to become a PHF club, I have to give an example that yes, the Rotary Club of Bombay is leading by example.
So my simple request is that when it happens and how it happens, Nirav, Sandip, Vijay ji, Vineet, and all of you will take care. The President will take care through his emotional appeal, but this is a small appeal to the Club that we would like you all to be a 100 per cent PHF club in the year 2025–26.
Friends, apart from what the Club does, I remember the words of Phil Jackson, who said that the strength of each member is the team, and the strength of the team is the individual member. There are certain members in the Club who are not just doing well at the Club level. There are members who have been doing extraordinary work at the District level as well. In fact, one could say that if the District is performing brilliantly this year or over the past many years, certain people in your Club have a very important stake in that.
To begin with, my friends, what amazing work our veteran, Vijay Jatia ji, is doing. Leading by example, a person with a golden heart, contributing so much, but most importantly, he is a person of his word. On his word, so many people like to contribute just because of what he commits. Whether it is Vijay Jatia ji or my dearest friend, the Alpha Governor Sandip Agarwalla, when a word comes out from their mouth, credibility comes along with it. Thank you so much for all that you are doing, Sandip. Thank you so much, Vijay ji. He came to meet us despite a doctor’s appointment and then left. What you all are doing is truly brilliant. Keep up the good work, keep supporting the District, and keep supporting The Rotary Foundation. That is all that is expected.
But one lovely friend of mine, one of the most passionate Rotarians and one of the most passionate people for Foundation giving, my Jai Ho friend, Nirav. I would only request all of you that whenever he comes and speaks to you, even if he speaks for 30 seconds, give him two minutes. I am sure within those two minutes you will become a PHF, a PHS, or a major donor, or you will contribute to polio or to the endowment. So please do not run away from him. Give him time, because I have never seen a person as passionate as Nirav in my entire life towards the Foundation. Thank you so much, Nirav, for all that you are doing.
So, friends, I felt it was my responsibility and duty not just to come and complete some paperwork here, but also to speak to those members who may not be aware of everything that the Club is doing, and to let you know that now is the time for all of you to prepare more. Yes, Manish is coming immediately after Bimal, and of course, after that, we also have Vineet. But there is also your centenary year coming. I was speaking to Akhil, and he has already raised his bar. I was simply thinking that in the centenary year, the Club should do projects somewhere between 5 and 7 million, and I do not see that as a challenge. Indumati will be really happy that during the centenary year of the Rotary Club of Bombay, she will be the District Governor.
Friends, this Club leads by example. This Club has set gold standards. This Club sets the SOPs. It becomes easier for us to go to other clubs and say that these are the ideal ways in which a club should function. But my other responsibility is also to encourage you all to participate with the District, to partner with the District in various projects, and to raise the level of those projects.
One such project, my friends, is Rotary Hospitals. On the day of Bimal’s installation and at my installation, we clearly stated that we are going to create two Rotary hospitals in this year 2025–26. I am very happy and proud to say, Vineet, that not one, not two, not three, but four Rotary hospitals are being created within the geographical limits of Mumbai this year. We have already inaugurated two. The third, a Rotary District Eye Hospital, will be inaugurated in the month of April, and another Rotary District Heart Hospital towards the end of May.
Friends, when Rotary District 3141 has been able to achieve this after almost two years of preparation, my request to the Rotary Club of Bombay is this. You already have the Talwada Medical Centre, which has been running so well and where you have created a legacy. When you have done that outside Mumbai, why not take up a trust hospital within Mumbai? Why not replicate the Talwada Hospital in Mumbai, where it will be easier to manage and administer, and where you can create an even greater impact within this community?
So, my request to you is to think about this. Whether it is a one-year plan, a two-year plan, or a three-year plan, the Club knows best. But if this can be done at the District level, this is one club that can certainly do it at the club level as well. Sandip, please do consider this, because the amount of funds that you have contributed to various hospitals is enormous. Crores upon crores have been spent by your Club to enhance other hospitals. It is now time that patients receive the same treatment, care, and expertise in Rotary-owned hospitals.
Apart from this, there are two other projects which Rotary has taken up very strongly this year. One is the Rotary Pink Autos project. Our dream is very clear. We want 1,000 pink autos on the streets of Mumbai in 2025–26. We want 1,000 women to be empowered to drive these pink autos. We want these women to run the economy of their households and contribute to the education of their children.
Friends, I request the Rotary Club of Bombay, through your President Bimal Mehta, to take up the Pink Autos Project and actively participate in it. This will ensure that many women are empowered across Mumbai District 3141. Many women who believed that the four walls of their homes defined their lives can now begin to see a new future. I can tell you that women who were not earning even a single rupee and were completely dependent on their partners are today earning anywhere between Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 a month, regaining their confidence, their self-respect, and making a significant impact in the community.
My request to you is that if you feel this project aligns with your thought process, please consider taking it forward. But one project where I would like to strongly insist that the Rotary Club of Bombay takes a very important role in is the cervical cancer vaccination project. Friends, the only cancer that can be prevented through vaccines is cervical cancer. I believe that all those girls who are not as affluent as we are, and all those who are not aware that this cancer can be prevented, should be reached by us. It should be our sincere effort to go out of our way and ensure that the majority of girls between 9 and 16 years of age, in all the Interact schools, slum schools, and municipal schools, receive vaccination through Rotary.
If that happens, I am sure that this generation will never have to suffer the distress caused by this cancer. You are giving them a new lease of life. Let us join hands and make these projects successful.
Friends, in the end, I would like to say that in this world, where people and circumstances constantly try to make us something different from what we are, to remain our true selves is itself commendable. Rotary Club of Bombay, you have not just remained yourselves, you have created history, you have created a legacy. Yes, you must continue doing good work to maintain the stature and legacy of your previous projects, but you should also participate with the district as much as possible to ensure that the work of Rotary in Mumbai and the work of District 3141 reach the next level.
So friends, let us go ahead, let us inspire. It has been a pleasure being here with all of you. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you for the warm hospitality. Thank you.
President Bimal Mehta: I would love to invite PG and Past RI Trustee Gulam to say a few words, just a few words of encouragement. Gulam Vahanvaty is our Past Rotary International Trustee, and I was very happy to see him here. So, Gulam, if you could share a few words of encouragement or suggestions.
PG and Past RI Trustee Gulam: Thank you, Bimal. Thank you, President Bimal. It is a real honour that I am able to speak on this occasion when our distinguished Governor is here with us. Manish, let me congratulate you on a wonderful presentation. I think it highlighted not only the projects that the Rotary Club of Bombay has undertaken, but also what the District is doing and what the Club can achieve in partnership with it.
I would like to take a special moment to recognise our young leaders who are present here. We have Rotaractors and Interactors among us, and I would request all of you to stand up and be recognised. Let us give them a huge round of applause. These are our leaders of tomorrow. Your presence here is truly special. Please do not feel shy. To see so many of you here in the Rotary Club of Bombay, which has such strong Interact and Rotaract clubs, is truly encouraging. I feel blessed to see our young leaders here. Thank you.
President Bimal, I would also like to recognise the tremendous support you extend to schools and colleges, encouraging the formation of Interact and Rotaract clubs, which nurture the leaders of tomorrow. Well done. I would like to congratulate all the members of the Rotary Club of Bombay. President Bimal, outstanding leadership. It has been a year of great achievements, and in the next three months, I am sure you will set even more records, undertake more service projects, and truly be a beacon of light for the underprivileged in our society. Thank you very much for this opportunity.
PDG & ARRFC Sandip Agarawalla: Good afternoon. For those of you who may not know, Gulam was the District Governor when I was the President of this Club back in 2002–03. We share a wonderful relationship because of that. I would like to make an announcement which many of you may not be aware of. Gulam has been appointed by the TRF Trustee Chair-Elect Jennifer Jones as the National Chair of the National PolioPlus Committee in India, which is a very prestigious assignment. I hope that while he is discharging these duties, the world can finally take its first step towards the complete eradication of polio. Congratulations, Gulam. You make us proud. Thank you.