Past Events

At ‘Women’s Health at Every Age’, our 28 th February programme, Dr Shashi Panja, Minister of Women, Child Development and Social Welfare, Govt of West Bengal, began her address by pointing out that there is a huge need for better facilities and that the State Govt has various social and medical schemes to elleviate the situation.

Kolkata’s ace neurosurgeon, Dr Sandip Chatterjee, moderated the interactive session with his trade mark wry wit. He directed the guest speakers to address the some of the most common issues in the field of gynaecological health and hormonal problems. He also often stepped in to simplify medical jargon for the members' benefit.

Dr Raju Sahetya, senior Gynaecologist and Obstetrician from Mumbai, spoke about how women’s healthcare - from ‘womb to tomb’ - has evolved over the years. He said the entire pyramid happily has changed today with healthcare focussing on prevention and early intervention to pre-empt diseases.

Mumbai based Endocrinologist, Dr Vikas Gupta, spoke about how Artificial Intelligence aided detection of certain genetic predispositions that could determine treatments. He reminded that regular professional consultations and monitoring was required as each patient responded uniquely to drugs due to individual lifestyles etc.

All three doctors responded at length to an array of queries from a highly enthusiastic audience. A myriad of topics ranging from polycystic ovaries, obesity, thyroid problems, various vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, etc., were discussed. The doctors also stressed on maintaining good health through heathy eating and exercise regimens.

It was a highly informative session indeed.

“Fitness is my passion,” claims Ms Zoe Modgill, Founder and instructor at Studio 60, Delhi.

In her opinion, “A healthy body is not a thin body and a weighing scale is your worst enemy.” Women should focus primarily on their health, strength and lastly focus on weight loss. Women should focus more on strength training as it builds muscle, which helps in burning fat, instead of cardio workouts which impact joints and can lead pain, she advised.

“Fitness enthusiasts should follow proper workout regimes, eat well and healthy, follow a healthy lifestyle, have a positive frame of mind towards their body, inner self, be optimistic about themselves and also about life,” said Ms Modgill.

Talking about diet, the fitness expert, pointed out that since the genetic make up is unique for each individual, one diet definitely doesn’t suit all. Food is Fuel. Eat food, which is closest to its original form, thereby avoiding processed food. In order to get the optimum nutritional value one must have a balanced meal comprising of carbohydrates, protein and good fat, was her clear advice.

Zoe demonstrated a few key exercises that help enhance mobility and flexibility, important tools with the onset of age, when metabolism slows down.

The interactive event concluded with the thought - Fitness is definitely a way of life!!

Ladies Study Group and Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet 2020 hosted English author Joanne Harris, best known for her award-winning novel Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. In conversation with the writer was Sukanya Das, Principal Coordinator, Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet.

Joanne Harris said stories are the best kind of magic. She said, 'Magic has the power to change things; stories could recreate that magical experience. Anyone is capable of magic, anyone is capable of change.'

Chocolat, she said has cast a spell over a million readers and turned a Leeds teacher, Harris, into a star. She said, chocolate has been associated to cultures going back 5000 years. That chocolate has survived being misrepresented and being banned in 17 th century Europe, surely gives chocolate supernatural.

Harris proclaimed that she has a condition called synaesthesia, which gives her the uncanny power to smell colour. Harris said food has been central to the themes of her work as it's one of the very few things that all cultures can share and understand, and as such can be a useful indicator of personality and attitude.

Joanne Harris truly created magic mesmerising the audience and making the session truly delectable!!

Park Street to most of us living in the city is not more than a dance and dine corridor, a street as glamorous and glitzy as it can get. But through the heritage walk, Once Upon a Time in Park Street, the stories lying in its under belly were discovered – we saw a Park Street that we had never seen.

It was strange to learn that this area once was a dense tiger infested jungle where thugs and dacoits roamed. It was strange to know that it was the extreme outskirts of the city where the cemeteries were. It was strange to know that the average life span of the Europeans in the city was just two monsoons, hence so many graves of young people in the South Park Street Cemetery.

On our walk we stopped to hear stories, stories of how St. Xavier's College has its beginnings in the theatre history of the city, stories of a palace lying in ruins. Camac Street we learn was originally a settlement where the poorer sections of the city were shifted and was known as Duncan Basti ka Rasta.

Another great institute of the area – Loreto House and College was the site of the Deer Park of Sir Elijah Impey from where the street derives its name. The walk ended at the legendary breakfast place, Flury's on Park Street.

The Ladies Study Group was honoured to receive an invitation from the Hon'ble Governor of West Bengal Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, to visit the Raj Bhawan. A group of fifty members lead by President Mrs Iti Dasgupta took the opportunity to walk the grandiose portals of this historical building. The delegation was then addressed by the Hon'ble Shri Jagdeep Dhankar.

Raj Bhawan is not only a heritage building, it is Kolkata's outstanding landmark evoking the past and sublimating it. Raj Bhawan, Kolkata, the erstwhile Government House, used to be the seat of British Imperial power. Built in 1803, Raj Bhawan is the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal.

This three-storied building with a magnificent central area consisting of large halls has curved corridors on all four sides radiating to detached wings, each constituting a house in itself. There are about 60 rooms in Raj Bhawan, beside public halls, verandahs, porticos, banquets and halls.

The library was the highlight of the trip where the members saw the facsimile copy of the Indian Constitution.

The Hon'ble Governor complimented the body of work done by LSG. The Governor said he was open to suggestions to work together in the future in the area of culture and creative excellence.

The members felt honoured to have had an opportunity to meet with the Hon'ble Governor.

The Hon'ble former President of India, Late Pranab Mukherjee, presented the Ladies Study Group Charitable Trust Annual Award, to Kolkata Sanved. This was in recognition of their outstanding contribution in working towards support and rehabilitation of women and child victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The Award included a certificate of recognition and a prize of Rupees two lakh.

A dance performance by Kolkata Sanved showcased how performing arts can enhance emotional and physical well-being.

The Shanti Devi Khaitan Award was presented to the Foundation for Innovations in Health in recognition of their efforts in training rural youth and providing them with opportunities of future employment. The Award included a cash prize of Rupees 50 thousand.

The Hon'ble Former President acknowledged the role of LSG in celebrating the empowerment of women in his address. He said our 'civilizational value' needed to be upheld by 'preserving the dignity of women'.

The responsibility of socio-economic empowerment of women, he advised, cannot be left solely to the government and should instead be converted into a social movement. He felt the root cause of gender bias is a mindset of superiority. Ladies Study Group feel highly privileged and honoured and very humbled to have had him grace the occasion.

The LSG delegation arrived in Tashkent on November 4th . We saw the finest craftsmanship of Uzbekistan at the State Museum of Applied Art, followed by lunch at Manas, a folk style restaurant. Dinner was over an exchange of historical stories with the Tourism Minister.

We walked through Bukhara's historic centre, a UNESCO Heritage site. The Committee interacted with women entrepreneurs at City Hall. Bathing at the 500 year old Bozori Kord, was the highlight. Over traditional dinner and dances, we saw night lit fairy tale city.

The Emir's Summer Palace reflected both Russian and Bukhara styles. An array of ceramics at Gijduvan ,depicted Uzbekistan's distinctive cultural regions. Over an indigenous dinner at Restaurant Samarkand dancers enacted local tales.

Amir Timur's mausoleum with its azure dome capped our Samarkand tour; and Registan Square, was framed by exquisite madrasahs. The heart of the ancient city, was used for proclamations, and executions, another gem of a UNESCO Heritage site. We explored local handicrafts and kilims at the Siyab Bazar.

Back at Tashkent we visited the local Chorsu Bazar . Sodyk Safoev ,Deputy Chairman of the Senate, met us for lunch. A ballet at the Navoi Theatre; followed a visit to Lal Bahadur Shastriji's memorial and a designer ikat silk textile show.

Our enchanting holiday had come to a close and we will treasure memories of this spellbinding trip, appropriately tagged 'Magical Uzbekistan' by our President Mrs lti Dasgupta.

Beauty comes from the inside. The connection between nutrition and skin condition or rather the effect of nutrition on skin aging was addressed by the accomplished panelists, Dr. Malavika Kohli and Ms. Karishma Chawla, moderated by Ms. Oindrilla Dutt at the LSG event held on 15.10.19 at the Taj Bengal.

Dr. Malavika Kohli, pioneer in aesthetic dermatology presented an informative slide of Secrets to a flawless skin, ranging from the essentials, selecting the right products, procedures available to polishing, enhancing, reshaping and contouring the face, prevention and treatment of hair loss and nails to the fat freeze techniques available to get the perfect curve and to get rid of the stubborn fat. Malavika said Botox was used not only to erase lines but also to treat migraines, acid refluxes, sweaty palms and piles. She said, “Correct, Protect and Enhance is my Mantra.”

Ms. Karishma Chawla, Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator, iterated, “You are what you absorb” and emphasised the importance of eating clean. She said that food and lifestyle are important tools to get a balance in circle of life. Karishma advised the forum to get into the level of awareness and learn to eat intuitively. “Take care of the gut,” by eating complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruits in low glycemic index, healthy oils like olive, rice bran and coconut oil. She advised white rice should be substituted by brown rice and sugar with stevia. Prior to going on any diet plan, one must eat every 2-4 hours to balance the sugar levels, she said.

The speakers agreed the need to balance nutrition and lifestyle ensuring holistic results in all areas of life- physical, emotional and spiritual!

It was a special privilege to listen to three powerful and socially aware women of influence, former Congress MP Priya Dutt, Advocate Nandini Khaitan, and journalist and author, Anubha Bhonsle, discuss The Quest for Social Justice.

Priya, who has been relentless in her efforts to alleviate the circumstances of the socially downtrodden, believes not much has changed in the lives of women in rural India.

Anubha, till recently the Executive Editor of CNNIBN, has launched a digital news venture. She spoke about Irom Sharmila's unique protest, the Me Too Movement in journalism and the lack of basic facilities for women all around the country even today.

Nandini is the first woman from the family in 90 years of Khaitan & Co's history, to have joined the law firm. She said that even though equal number of boys and girls study law today, there are hardly over 10 women among the 420 senior counsels the Supreme Court.

The discussion ended on a hopeful note with Priya suggesting that more power in the hands of women would help bring about better social justice for them.

When the celebrity chef Madhu Krishnan, Executive Chef (R&D) ITC Hotels, offered to hold a Masterclass for Ladies Study Group members, she called it an unplugged session and began with a Quiz. Asking the audience to identify ingredients, some deceptively familiar, some definitely baffling, displayed on each table; she immediately got everyone engaged.

And what is a Masterclass without some creative cooking. A beetroot salad beautifully presented with an onion jam and a cherry compote and a spanish paella using Manipuri black rice was prepared right on stage; while she spoke about her passion for food and how she found cooking for family and friends both rewarding and relaxing at the same time.

Chef Madhu emphasised that cooking is about personalising and sharing and connecting with our roots. She encouraged all to visit markets for local and seasonal produce and not be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. That is how you create magic on the plate!

The session ended with a sumptuous lunch spread, creatively curated by Chef Madhu Krishnan.