Past EventsKolkata

Ms Bachi Karkaria, editor Times of India, conducted a talk on the topic “Women Entrepreneurs Today— Risk Takers and Change Makers” with Ms Jagi Mangat Panda, co-founder of Ortel Communications and Ms Sanjana Kapoor, co-founder of Junoon, two leading entrepreneurs of the Indian economy. They discussed how empowered women can empower others. Bachi gave the example of Geraldine Ferraro, the first U.S. female vice presidential candidate and asked whether female leaders feels the pressure to empower others e.g., are they obliged to hire a certain number of women? Jagi is a strong believer in diversification in terms of gender and culture to help with creativity. She has made it mandatory to take at least 2 women out of 10 at the entry point. Women get a chance to be interviewed, however at the interview it’s the merit that counts. Sanjana also feels strongly about celebrating diversity as it helps with creativity. In performing arts it’s the other way round, they have to look for men. Jagi believes that women work harder and said laughingly that men pretends to work hard and like to hang around the workplace. Women tend to work better in a team. Jagi pointed out that her work also deals with entertainment as they have popularized Jatra through television. Sanjana would like to find ways to partner and learn from each other. Currently they are developing strategic management in the art of theater. In terms of the importance of the political establishment to theater. The Cultural ministry is still not professional and provides grants based on personal contacts. Nurturing, fostering and mentoring is the way to survive long-term. It was inspiring to hear both Jaggi and Sanjana give examples of how they have been as change makers through their work.

LSG members' programme held on 13th February at the Taj —LSGs got talent - revealed the enthusiasm and passion for music amongst the members. In addition the talent show proved to be an effective medium of bonding and comaraderie over the past few days of rehearsals. The programme began with Saraswati Bandana by PP Anuradha Dalmia. A total of 38 members participated in 6 teams. Each team was named after films with a female protagonist from Bollywood films of different eras, namely Umrao Jaan,Raazi, Parineeta, Baji Rao Mastani , Padmavat and English Vinglish. The programme was conducted by Nilanjana Chakraverty, and the eminent judges were Kavita Krishnamurthy, Tanushree Shankar and Arjun Chakraverty All performers participated enthusiastically.This musical extravaganza with gorgeous stage setting and performers with props was enjoyed by all present.Judges appreciated the passion for music shown by the members. The first prize went to team Baji Rao Mastani, second to team Parineeta, third to team Raazi. The programme concluded with melodious rendition of nimbure by Kavita Krishnamurthy and Babul mora by Arjun Chakraverty.

Amidst the serene and enchanting setting of the lush lawns of Harikunj, Ladies Study Group proudly hosted two eminent authors to discuss New Stories from Old Scriptures in conversation with Malavika Banerjee, Director, Kolkata Literary Meet. Malavika welcomed the acclaimed authors and introduced them to the audience as writers who have engaged with scriptures and epics for the last fifteen years, before which the scriptures have engaged them for a lifetime. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an author, poet and the Betty and Gene McDavid Professor of Writing at University of Houston, Creative Writing Program. Her pen is mighty, yet mirthful; she candidly spoke about the inspiration she derived from the stories recited by her grandfather in a village in Bengal, under the light of a kerosene lamp, surrounded by her cousins. She stated, "Stories of our epics are fascinating, filled with all kinds of story elements. Their characters are amazing and they play out in a magical world." Chitra candidly confessed, "Ramayana is very nuanced, more nuanced than when I read it in popular texts, like the Amar Chitra Katha and watching it in the serial." Gurcharan Das, author, commentator and a public intellectual, in his latest book Kama: The Riddle of Desire, examines human desires across civilizations. Gurcharan started with his journey as an undergraduate in Harvard University, studying philosophy, where he met the greatest Sanskritan alive, Daniel Ingalls. Malavika pointed out the way some of our scriptures have changed with the times and have various interpretations with a special mention to the age-old scripture, Kama sutra. Gurcharan candidly stated, "Kama sutra is a book of not only sexual positions but that of good manners. To be socially successful in society, one must talk the language of the people, which is Prakrit." He went further by saying that in Mahabharata and other texts- including Kalidas and Shakuntala there is a conflict between Dharma and Karma. "Dharma is a duty to the others whereas Karma is a duty to yourself," opinioned author Gurcharan. The two acclaimed authors of great repute enthralled the audience with their talk of their life journeys, writings, scriptures and their understanding which left the LSG members enlightened.

Ladies Study Group hosted an information-packed interactive session on "Health:our greatest asset" on Tuesday,4 December 2018. We had the privilege of hearing two eminent doctors, Dr.Neeta Warty( gynaecologist and endoscopic surgeon) and Dr.Kanchan Kaur ( oncologist and breast speciality surgeon) in conversation with the amazing Oindrilla Dutt who steered the dialogue masterfully. They had an avid group of ladies listening in rapt attention to each and every word of wisdom that was shared. Breast Cancer is now affecting one in every 22 women in India and so women's health and its related issues is definitely one of our primary areas of concern and stress,and the need for information in this area is vital. Both doctors provided critical insights on breast cancer and other gynaecology issues and shattered many of the myths that typically plague our minds. Some useful details: Cancer is a lifestyle disease and so while no particular food is good or bad for it, making healthy choices and eating quality over quantity will definitely improve our overall wellbeing for sure. Self examination by a woman of her own breasts is mandatory and typically should be done by menstruating women just after their period, while women who have menopaused, should fix a monthly self-check date and do it. Mammograms should be done as a routine after the age of 40 years especially for Indian women, and should be complimented with an ultrasound scan. They can be repeated yearly or once in two years. There is no need for a thyroid shield while undergoing a mammogram. The cancer marker tests have zero role in detecting breast cancer and so if there is a even a hint of suspicion then one needs to instead urgently follow the Triple Assessment protocol of clinical check up, ultrasound/mammogram and then a needle biopsy if needed. A fine needle biopsy of a breast tumour is very safe and the procedure does not result in the tumour spreading further. Also, today , doctors prefer a "true cut biopsy" for breast tumours where a rice grain sized piece is taken out to analyse and decide the line of treatment. There are no restrictions on wearing any type of bra vis-à-vis it's relationship with breast cancer. Whether the bra is coloured,padded or underwired,it does not affect the possibility of getting cancer in any way! The use of deodorants on their own have no direct correlation to cancer. However certain chemicals that toiletries and cosmetics contain do lead to increasing the risk of cancer. Hence it is important to be knowledgable about the ingredients of all the products we are using; including our deodorants and anti-perspirants. Lumpectomy and Masectomy are decided according to the size and type of the tumour, the stage of the cancer and the choice of the patient. However, lumpectomies must always be followed up by radiotherapy. In Masectomies, breast reconstruction surgery can be done either simultaneously during the breast removal procedure or at a later stage after completion of treatments. It can be done using body tissues from the patient itself which could include muscle from the back or fat from the stomach area (leading to a free tummy tuck which women love!) Concerns on procedures done through Laproscopy on the thought that some "parts" might get left behind due to the key hole procedure are unfounded. Laproscopy is definitely the way forward with minimum invasion and hence quicker recovery for the patient. HRT treatment should be used only if absolutely necessary and for a period of 5 years only. The doctor's judgement should be trusted. While 90 % of breast cancer cases occur in women with no family history, there is definitely a direct link between factors like alcohol and excess body weight especially post menopause. Hysteroscopy is a modern diagnostic tool which is now used to understand why patients have issues like fertility, irregular bleeding patterns etc and is a simple day procedure. It is important to change our cultural mindset on cancer treatments for women and consciously let the woman patient herself be involved and take her own decisions on type of treatment etc rather than have the family members and relatives do that for her,which unfortunately is the most common practice in our country. The fascinating concept of the pathbreaking technology for uterine transplants performed in India was explained wherein the uterus of a woman is transplanted into another who can then proceed to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. The entire discussion revealed a series of facts and realities on a topic which is so relevant and concerns each and every Indian woman today . Statistics show that Indian women have a higher risk of breast cancer as compared to the Whites and Caucasians. It is with knowledge like this that we can empower ourselves and educate ourselves on how to successfully combat this disease. Most importantly, if the cancer is detected at the right time,it is curable and treatable. So our life mantra should be -" you should find your cancer before it finds you" and thereby we will win this battle too!!

The topic of discussion was ‘The Dynamics of education’ : In conversation with Prof. Anuradha Lohia, V.C.Presidency University and Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath, Ex -Principal ,Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi ; moderated by Ms Malabika Banerjee, Director, Kolkata Literary Meet. The conversation started with a reference to Eliot’s ‘The Rock’ where he asks - ‘Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?’ The traditional viewpoint of education as a mode of acquiring skills or getting a career is being replaced by a much more layered and rich approach to education. This started in the 20th century but has picked up pace in the 21st century where education is incorporating art and industry and is offering more choice and flexibility than ever before. Education now should be looked at as much more than the road to degrees, but as a path to wisdom. This is exemplified by the number of dropouts from traditional universities who have gone on to extremely succesful businesses and careers. Prof. Lohia rued that modern parents were taking away some of the thrills of self-discovery in higher education by their scrutiny. She felt it was necessary for young men and women to choose their own path and make their own mistakes. Modern education, she felt, has now the flexibility and dynamism to be ‘kinetic and not potential’. Dr. Gopinath spoke abut the need for a more modern system of evaluation than cutoff numbers, stressing on the ‘nine intelligences’ described by Howard Gardener. She also spoke of the need for spiritual abundance in education, explaining that the 'Saraswati’s Hansa' is a metaphor for the infinite capabilities of the spirit. The speakers deliberated on the changing landscape of women in education and the shifting of demographic balance. The ‘apartheid’ against women is lifting and this change is evident across the world. They also mentioned that higher education should not be a goal for every student. The strength of modern education would be to appreciate the micro and macro viewpoint. They quoted the “Auguries of Innocence’, where Blake writes: ‘To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower. Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.’ In these words, the goal of dynamic education and the viewpoint of the guests, was summarized beautifully.

Ladies Study Group were audience to one of the most invigorating talks, ‘Reel Life To Real Life’, moderated by a director, Shoojit Sircar and actor, Abhishek Bachchan on 25th October’18 at Altair Boutique Hotel, Kolkata. Shoojit Sircar opened the dialogue by welcoming the son of a Bengali mother, Jaya Bachchan and Jamai raja, Amitabh Bachchan to the City of Joy. Juniour Bachchan confessed that the Bachchan household has a huge flavour of customs and traditions of Bengal at home and he himself is a fan of the Bengali cuisine, especially the mishti! Abhishek Bachchan was candid in saying he did not feel the pressure of being a star kid. He said, ”Energies of pressure should be channelized in the right direction.” Shoojit addressed the overwhelming exposure by the paparazzi. Abhishek further addressed the issue of the faceless Internet, which bears no repercussion. In his view, media has no emotion while taking pictures of star children, who have not chosen this lifestyle, thereby having an impact on their psyche. “I hope the #Metoo Movement I have touched in ‘Pink’, becomes a cleansing process,” said director Shoojit Sircar. Abhishek expressed that we as a society are not ready to handle this storm, as we do not understand the enormity of this oppression. “There may not be a ‘Rakhi’ festival tomorrow,” said Abhishek. He further added, “Listen, before you judge. We have become a generation of instant gratification.” Shoojit and Abhishek both agreed that society will ‘rethink’ and that is a welcome start. Abhishek shared that he took a deliberate two-year sabbatical from films to reevaluate and reenergize the way he was working. He candidly confessed, “Complacency is the death of creativity.” They both expressed how great actors, like Amitabh Bachchan go the extra mile to make sure every little nuance and aspect of their character is well fleshed out. Juniour Bachchan unabashedly declared, “Failing publicly is humiliating; to rise again one needs courage & love.” He further added, “Movies to me is a commercial art; once the ticket is bought, I owe the audience, I need to guarantee you entertainment.” “Films are a business, but for me it is a creative platform,” said director Shoojit Sircar. At the end, both speakers discussed their passion for sports especially football with utmost zeal. Both stalwarts answered questions from the curious forum with utmost honesty and humour, which left the Ladies mesmerized by the magical evening. Altair served sumptuous Mediterranean cuisine on the rooftop overlooking the Kolkata skyline.

The Ladies Study Group proudly hosted an afternoon with Mr. Piyush Pandey, the man who changed advertising in India, on 28th September 2018 at The Pala, ITC Sonar. “Advertising must talk to the hearts of the people,” said Mr. Pandey. He went on to say that creativity in art form manifests from inspiration and all that we perceive around us. He strongly believes that in the advertising world one needs imagination with a purpose. He candidly mentioned, “I need you. It is a question of co-relation as I need to talk to you and understand your needs.” The Ad Guru said his first source of inspiration was his family. He screened his famous advertisements on screen for the enraptured audience i.e. Ponds Cold Cream, SBI Life Insurance, Cadbury Gems, Times of India, Fevikwik and a few others. “It is no rocket science,” stated the Ad Guru. He said, “Keep your eyes and mind open, and your heart respectful to get ideas.” Mr. Pandey said his second source of inspiration was from travelling. He said he was fortunate to have played cricket, which required him to travel in third class coaches, thereby pushing him to interact with the common man. He strongly advocated that parents should make their children travel, especially within India, a country which is so culturally rich. A poignant incident in New York will be the inspiration for his future ads. He recalls the taxi driver saying, “My entire village looks after my mother.” The driver had left his mother in the village, while he was earning his bread in New York. Mr. Pandey said his third source of inspiration was from society. “We present you the familiar in unfamiliar circumstances,” said Mr. Pandey. “The idea of having a child in each one of us, helped with the visual,” said Mr. Pandey. He candidly mentioned that today’s audience wants to relate to the ads, for example the ‘The Hindu’ advertisement showing the chaos in the Parliament session. The audience threw a volley of questions at the Ad Guru, who took them one by one, with a sense of humility. On being questioned if his advertisement for the BJP Govt: ‘Ab Ki Baar Modi Sarkar’, made the BJP win the campaign, he candidly answered: “Elections are won at the ground level. I just added the simplicity in their Hindi language.” He said that no technology would work in the digital world if there were no ideas. The members and guests of the Ladies Study Group were audience to one of the most enlivening talks conducted by the Ad Guru! The LSG members and guests further interacted over tea at the ITC.

The Ladies Study Group delegation headed by Madhulika Kanoria set off for Vienna on the 3rd of September. We were a group of twelve ladies. we met the Indian ambassador Ms Renu Pal for tea at the historic Imperial hotel .The ambassador spoke about unique experiences of her career spanning three decades. She said that women of India were exceptionally empowered and could stand out at the international level. Ms Pal then went on to enquire about the background and story behind each member of the delegation.It was indeed a rather candid and enlightening session. On the 6th of September, we gathered for a study session over breakfast. Then dressed in traditional Indian attire we reached the Federal Chancellery of Vienna in the afternoon. The high point of the trip was meeting the dynamic Sebastian Kurz, Austria's youngest Chancellor. He welcomed us and our president invited him to speak to our delegation. On our question about Vienna being considered 'the best place to live in', he spoke about the various steps Austria had taken, in areas of safety, social security, health, food, water, education etc. The Chancellor also said that Austria was an export oriented nation , and with a 3.2 % GDP growth rate it was one the fastest growing countries in the European Union with very low unemployment rates. He ended by saying that he looked forward to visiting India in 2019. Chancellor Kurz also obliged us by standing in for individual photographs with each LSG delegation member! The Chancellor was accompanied Ms. Juliane Bogner-Strauß, Federal Minister for Women, Families and Youth and Ms. Margarete Schrambock , Minister of Digital and Economic affairs.The two ministers stayed back for an extended session with us. They said that 50 % of the Austrian parliament was composed of women . Bogner-Strauß emphasised that many women completed university but relatively few rose to senior corporate positions thereafter. Hence they were specially focussed on supporting women through paid leave after child birth and excellent child care programmes to encourage them to return to workforce and work full time . Shrambock stressed that Austria was working towards making Austria a highly digitised nation, starting with a digitised education system. She said they had achieved high employment numbers due to an unique apprenticeship system that was introduced at the school level. In the programme corporations collaborated with the government offering skill based internships to young students in tandem with school .The minister indicated they were willing to collaborate and help India replicate this system. She also said the Austrian corporations were encouraged to take in a diversified workforce and their diverse contribution often improved the rating of the company. Overall the positive energy was overwhelming! This Austrian trip will always remain meaningful, significant and colourful in our memories. - Sreela Mitra

LSG hosted and engaged with Mr Derek O'Brien,a dynamic politician, quiz master and Rajya Sabha MP; in a power packed, lively and fun-filled interactive session with Ms Barkha Dutt, TV journalist, celebrated author and Padmasree awardee on 11th August 2018. Derek confessed that while politics is invigorating, it is uni-dimensional and affects your personal life. Coming from a non-political family, he chose to join Trinamool as Mamata Banerjee had the best shot to oust the communist from Bengal. Congress was out of touch and though BJP had the best outreach he had a deep disconnect with their basic ideology. Being criticised for toeing the party line and not expressing dissent.He said Dissent can take place within the forum but when the party takes a call one has to fall in line. The face of politics today is 'personality centric' where the party is not open to criticism. However that is dangerous for journalists . Barkha quizzed whether he ever felt a misfit. He admitted that when he failed in class Vll that impacted him. Also, when he decided to become a quiz master and not get to college that was a failure. His third failure was divorce, however that helped make him a better father. 2014 was a brilliant campaign by the BJP. Very easy to sell a product for the first time but they have not delivered hence repurchase won't happen. Derek's prediction — Modi's 280 seats will come down significantly. Allies share of 52 seats will be impacted - . If Congress gets 100 seats it's easier for Congress and allies to reach 280. Reality is the President will call the party with largest number and then we will form the Govt. Politics is now post ideology. There was a time when Like minded parties were secular parties. What would you give Modi credit for? Sartorial sense of Modi is good. Political marketing is brilliant. In open house Derek and Barkha agreed that we are living in Orwellian times when signals in TV Channels are blocked. Vote bank politics is a reality, but we have to count on performance, economy, jobs etc. A Christian boy, he grew up in a Hindu neighbourhood in a lane called Jamir lane, named after a Muslim. This happens only in India and nowhere else in the world, lots to be happy about that. Session's conclusion: "You are our Derek O'Brien from Jamir lane and this can only happen in India. We love you, for being witty and humane."

LSG had the pleasure of hosting Dr Subhash Chandra, member of the Rajya Sabha, founder of Zee television and chairman of Essel group, a business empire of over $10 billion. Through an interactive session with a house full of LSG members and spouses at the ITC, Dr. Chandra talked candidly on a range of Issues. LSG President Madhulika Kanoria opened the session with her question first question – “what motivates you to motivate others?” to which he replied that it was his father who inspired him to share the rich experience he has gained in so many years of business, with the youth to guide, empower and encourage them. Questions from the audience ranged from his views on Education, Media to the future of Television. His views reflected his philosophy of Living in the Present. Change is present in all spheres of life. Science & technology are constantly evolving, altering society’s tastes, needs and values. Media and television also need to evolve in order to satisfy the various segments of society that they serve. On education however he hailed the traditional Indian Model of Gurukula education that encouraged individual-based education vis a vis today’s universal education that was propagated by the British. Identifying and encouraging talent is most important. Educating the child at home till five years of age by parents & grandparents goes a long way in their development. Answering questions on success in his business, he reiterated his firm conviction in the Indian philosophy of living in the present, working with the right attitude and keeping faith in oneself and hard work. On the difference between manager and entrepreneur, he clarified that a manager will not go beyond a certain limit whereas an entrepreneur takes the risk with his money and future. His view on Philanthropy- he firmly discourages any charity that undermines the self respect of the beneficiary. He believes in contributing toward building the capacity of the society as a whole to take on challenges. The Subhash Chandra foundation believes in giving grants to Students on the condition that they in turn give back to society once they have become successful. In terms of Dr. Chandra's vision of 2025 • Technological changes are going to take place like driver-less car, remedy for cancer etc. New concepts will evolve to make humans self sufficient in all respects. • Media is indispensable, it’s not trustworthy yet paradoxically it’s the only hope. Media is doing positive work while reporting immediately on rape and other antisocial activities. His final message to us was ATTITUDE DEFINES SUCCESS.