2005 News letter 
(covering activities up to February 2006)

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The highlight of the year was the visit to Bangalore in early December of SIT Eminent Counsellor Nobel Laureate Dr. Desmond Tutu. He delivered an inspiring lecture titled ‘Is there Hope for Humanity’ at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, in the concluding part of which he stated : “Even in hardnosed cynical cultures it is amazing that those we admire, indeed revere, are not the macho, the aggressive, the successful. No, the people we hold almost universally in high regard are such as a Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and why? Because they are good. We have internal antennae which home in on goodness because we are created for goodness, for love, for gentleness, for compassion, for sharing. We are almost the ultimate paradox, the finite created for the infinite…. We are created by God, like God, for God. We have each a God hunger which only God can satisfy. We have a God shaped space which only God can fill. The Upanishads declare the human soul is divine: Tat Twam Asi (that thou art). Yes, and so I believe fervently, that there is hope for humankind.” 

Managing Trustee briefed Dr. Tutu on the considerable progress SIT had made since his previous visit to India, and about its plans for the future. He bestowed his congratulations, best wishes and blessings to SIT.

At the 2005 SIT Board of Management meeting on February 26th, 2005 Air Chief Marshal Marshal
A.Y.Tipnis and Ms Terry Greenblatt were formally inducted as Vice Chairman Trustee and Trustee respectively. The same evening Ms. Greenblatt delivered a much appreciated lecture at Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi on ‘What Gandhi means to me as an Israeli Peace Activist”. On March 1st, she spoke at Nehru Centre, Mumbai on the ‘Israeli – Palestinian Peace Movement’.

In June 2005, in recognition of SIT’s laudable work in promoting Gandhian ideals among the youth, SIT
Managing Trustee Ambassador (Retd) P.A.Nazareth was appointed a member of the National Bal Bhavan Board.

In August the Andhra Pradesh Chapter organized a seminar on ‘Gandhi and Women’s Empowerment’
and an inter school elocution contest on ‘The Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi to Contemporary
India’.

In October Gandhi Jayanti was joyfully celebrated by all SIT Regional Chapters with concerts of music and dance in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Chennai and Kochi. At Bangalore, the Gandhi Jayanti concert comprised the much acclaimed Sachin Shankar ballet ‘Gandhi’ and the Frank Antony School Choir and Brass Band presenting Gandhi’s favourite hymns and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. The Guests of Honour were the Governor of Karnataka Sri T.N. Chaturvedi and former Chief Justice of India Justice M.N.Venkatachaliah and Mrs Venkatachaliah.

At Ahmedabad, where an outstanding Sufi music concert by Gafurkhan Manganiar and Party was presented, the Chief Guest was Justice T.U. Mehta, Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.

At Hyderabad, where a play titled ‘Markham Afsane Insaniyat Ke’ by Jayadev and Rohini Hattangady was staged and the chief guest was Sri Sushil Kumar Shinde, Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

At Kochi, where a Bharatanatyam dance recital with ‘Vande Mataram’ and other items was presented, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Judge of Supreme Court of India was Chief Guest.