"GRAND LODGE OF INDIA CENTRE FOR PERSONS WITH SPINAL INJURIES"

26 th January 2001 - a day no one would like to remember. A 6.9 Richter scale earthquake hits Kutch and Gujarat . Buildings shake like leaves and fall like a pack of cards and thousands lie dead and injured under heaps of rubble; villages vanish from the map of India . Thousands become paraplegic for the rest of their lives having lost their limbs and having suffered spinal injuries.

2 nd February 2003 - M.W. The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip D. Udeshi accompanied by R.W. The R.G.M. of W.I., R.W. Bro. Govind Lal Shahu and other officers from the G.L.I. visit Ahmedabad for the inauguration of the world's first "Computerized Braille Language Lab" set up by Lodge Fellowship, Ahmedabad. A small presentation on a proposed Spinal injury Center at Bhuj, made by Mrs. Nandini Rawal of Blind People's Association and W.Bro. Rajiv Sethi of Lodge Fellowship is seen by them and M.W. The Grand Master immediately decides that The Grand Lodge of India would like to play the active role.

22 nd October 2003 - "The GRAND LODGE OF INDIA CENTRE FOR PERSONS WITH SPINAL INJURIES" set up with the help of Blind Peoples Association and Lodge Fellowship No. 140; Ahmedabad is ready to be inaugurated by M.W. The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip D. Udeshi. A work accomplished in a record period of only 8 months.

M.W. the Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip D. Udeshi accompanied by Mrs. Udeshi, R.W. The R.G.M. of W.I., R.W. Bro. G.L. Shahu, V.W. Bro. Meher Gimi, Regional Grand Secretary and W.Bro. Zawareh Wadia, A.R.G.M. are received at New Bhuj Airport by the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship, Ahmedabad along with ladies and are immediately taken to KCRC (Kutch Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centre), which in its 18,000 sq. ft. area houses the "Grand Lodge of India Centre for persons with Spinal injuries".

The center, spread over a beautiful landscaped area in an otherwise barren land consists of two buildings connected by a ramp and apart from the G.L.I. Center, houses Departments of Physiotherapy, Orthotic & Prosthetic Workshop (Artificial Limbs Centre), Community based rehabilitation unit, Sensory Integration Centre (Centre for children with visual and other disability), Rehabilitation Mobile Unit and Training center.

After the traditional Kutchchi welcome given by the staff and Dr. Gyaneshwar Rao, Project Director, KCRC, the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony is performed at the entrance of " G.L.I. Center " and a beautiful large marble plaque is revealed by M.W. The Grand Master complete with the square and compass and the words "GRAND LODGE OF INDIA CENTRE FOR PERSONS WITH SPINAL INJURIES". We are then taken inside the Centre, which has a 10-bedded beautifully designed rehabilitation unit, an Operation Theatre with the latest state of the art equipment, a physiotherapy center with state of the art equipment from Holland and houses the latest equipment for manufacturing Artificial limbs. The center, which started functioning immediately after the inauguration would provide both pre and post operative free life long medical treatment, including artificial limbs as well as rehabilitation to all who were disabled due to spinal injuries during the devastating earthquake.

Everyone then assembles in a hall where Dr. Gyaneshwar Rao of KCRC welcomes the guests and floral bouquets are presented by the staff to M.W. Bro. Dilip Udeshi, R.W. Bro. G.L. Shahu, V.W. Bro. Meher Gimi, W.Bro. Zawareh Wadia and the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship, W.Bro. Ganesh Nayak, W.Bro. Rajiv Sethi, W.Bro. Dr. Iqbal Hakim, Bro. Vinod Shah, Bro. Dilip Dawawala, Bro. Mukesh Shah, Bro. Manjot Singh and the accompanying ladies, Mrs. Heena Udeshi, Mrs. Usha Nayak, Mrs. Kiran Sethi, Mrs. Praveen Hakim and Mrs. Mukesh Shah.

Dr. Bhushan Punani, Executive Director of Blind People's Association addressed the audience on the Impact of Earthquake and the birth of KCRC and appreciated and thanked M.W. The Grand Master and R.W. The R.G.M. for providing assistance of Rs. 15 lacs in setting up the Spinal Injury Center and taking personal interest in the same. He also appreciated the sincere efforts of the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship, Ahmedabad for the help and assistance in setting up the Spinal Injury Centre and their attachment to Blind Peoples Association after having set up the world's first Braille Language Lab.

W.Bro. Ganesh Nayak, W.M. of Lodge Fellowship then informed the audience about the close association of Lodge Fellowship with B.P.A. and the service being rendered by them to the society and thanked M.W. The Grand Master and R.W. The Regional Grand Master who took personal interest in this project to ensure its completion in such a short period.

R.W. The Regional Grand Master of W.I., R.W. Bro. Govind Lal Shahu then rose for his address and expressed great satisfaction that the funds given by the Grand Lodge of India were so well utilized for procuring the latest state of the art equipment for the O.T. and for setting up the "Grand Lodge of India Centre for Persons with Spinal Injuries" which would render yeoman's service to the disabled for years to come. He appreciated the efforts of the Brethren of Lodge Fellowship in taking initiative in setting up long term projects for the benefit of society.

V.W. Bro. Meher Gimi, the Regional Grand Secretary then formally introduced M.W. The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip D. Udeshi to the audience specifically mentioning his philanthropic nature and his compassion and devotion for freemasonry.

M.W. The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. Dilip D. Udeshi then rose and surprised the audience by addressing them in the local Kutchchi dialect. He informed the audience that though he belonged to Kutch this was his first visit and in a way it was a homecoming. He thanked the staff of KCRC for the welcome and appreciated the wonderful work done by B.P.A. along with Lodge Fellowship. He mentioned that he was highly impressed with the Centre and that it could compare to the best in the country in terms of facilities and equipments etc. and the compassion, which he saw in the staff, most of who are honorary and were themselves affected by the earthquake and were today providing selfless service to the society.

This being the first exposure of the people of Kutch to Freemasonry M.W. The Grand Master then gave a brief history of Freemasonry and spoke about the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth and informed the audience about what Freemasonry is and what it teaches and how a person could join this institution. He mentioned about the various charitable projects set up across the country by The G.L.I. and in the end after thanking KCRC, B.P.A. and Lodge Fellowship he hoped that this center would go a long way in relieving the pains and suffering of those who became paraplegic after the earthquake. He also assured that the Grand Lodge of India and the Regional Grand Lodge of W.I. would always be there for any help and assistance required in the future.

After a vote of thanks given by the P.R.O. of B.P.A. everyone was treated to a sumptuous Kutchchi lunch prepared at the Centre and were later taken around Bhuj town.