With my host, Vijay, we left the Conference after the introduction of the District Team for 2010/2011 – interestingly for the first time this year each of the posts is dual filled by a Rotarian from Chennai and one from outside the city. There is speculation that there is a movement to divide the district, or at least to give greater prominence to those from the country areas. Rotary in the District is very ‘political’, often with a long list of nominees for DG, who then have to go through a selection process. This also is not without its difficulties and there is a case pending in the courts over the selection of the DG a few years back.
That evening I went with Vijay to the Race Course to listen to a performance of sufi and mystical music. Not as uninteresting as you might think to western ears. One performance by a group from Iran