Nana Chudasama: Silver Personality of the Month - June 2009

Nana Chudasama: Born to serve the society

Padma Shree Nana Chudasama is an eminent jurist and a former mayor and Sheriff of Mumbai. He is the founder of the NGO Giants International which has over 500 branches in India and branches across the world including the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Mauritius and Ukraine. Giants undertake projects which have an impact on society, such as family welfare, disaster management, education, and environment and so on.

On June 17th 2009 Nana Chudasama celebrated his 75th birthday in Mumbai.
Chudasama is also the president of "I Love Mumbai" which he founded when he was Sheriff of Mumbai. The organization focuses on the greening, beautification and cleaning of Mumbai. Till date he has been the only sheriff to be granted a second term in office. He is also the President of Forum Against Drugs and AIDS which he founded, chairperson of the National Kidney Foundation, Founder President of Common Man's Forum, an organization to safeguard the interests of the common man; Convener, Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, Government of Maharashtra, which assists Mumbai bomb blast victims of 1993. He was also the national president of Jaycees, which had earlier awarded him the Young Man of India Award; former president of Indo-American Society. He is also a member of the Task Force of the Government of Maharashtra to prepare action plan for transforming Mumbai into a better city.

Nana Chudasama’s parents wanted their son to marry not just any Hindu but someone from their own caste – a Rajput. His wife Munira Jasdanvalla’s family believed their daughters must be well-educated but not employed. The two met at a workplace in 1966 and chose to become mates for a lifetime. The silver lining to this problem is that some brave individuals have taken life into their own hands, defied society and proved that barriers of religion, caste, and nationality do not jeopardise their happiness. Nana began on a determined note: "Whatever people may say, this country is a secular country and I have great faith in secularism. No one has tabooed me because I married a Muslim. This is the inherent strength of this country. Any nation that calls itself secular must encourage inter–community marriages."

Mr. Nana Chudasama was the pioneer of the only India based social service organization Giants International which now has over 500 branches all over India and abroad .This organization was solely started by him with service to humanity as its main objective. Besides projects done in various fields such as Family welfare, Disaster Management programmes during earthquakes, floods, and other National calamities, Environmental projects , Support to the differently abled, Medical, Educational and Water Harvesting Projects , he has motivated all the Giants members to take up Family Planning programmes in their areas. In fact he has introduced Family Planning as top priority project for Giants and has instituted a number of Awards for Groups achieving the target operations to be carried out in their area. For the last couple of years he has initiated 38,000 family planning operation which are certified. He has also initiated numerous awareness and educational camps in slum areas for Family Planning. In the coming year he has a target of completing 50,000 operations.

Clean Mumbai, Green Mumbai, has been the slogan coined by Nana , when he started “ I Love Mumbai’during his term as Sheriff of Mumbai in the year 1989. Since then ‘I Love Mumbai’ has been distributing 50,000 free saplings annually, to make Mumbai green and reduce the pollution in the atmosphere. He has taken up a number of projects towards the beautification and cleanliness of the city, the major one being the protection, upkeep and illumination of heritage buildings such as Rajabai Tower, Asiatic Library, Wilson College and Police Head quarters. Other projects of ‘I Love Mumbai’ include annual white washing of Marine Drive promenade and compound walls, Sponsoring Swachalayas, Indoor Plants Exhibitions held twice a year etc.
In recognition of his achievements in his term as Sheriff, he created history by being the only Sheriff to continue in the office for the second consecutive year 1990.

He is the Founder president of Common Man’s Forum, an organization which has the primary concern of safe guarding the interest of the common man, leading him to be actively involved in consumerism, and is on the Advisory board of COUNCIL FOR FAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES.

During his term as Sheriff he also started the Forum Against Drugs and Aids and is the President of this center for prevention of Drug Abuse and Aids. He was the pioneer in organizing Drugs Abuse Awareness, through public support and medical assistance as well as providing cure through rehabilitation programme . A Hospital for the purpose was founded called The Bhardawadi Hospital for the cure of Drug addicts. Free Test for HIV are also carried on at the centre and those found HIV+ are given free medicine and counseling. He has also initiated in producing a film on Aids Awareness called ‘Roshini’.

Nana was instrumental in bringing the Jaycees to Bombay(now Mumbai) which is a leadership oriented organization and spread the movement throughout the country. He was awarded the most outstanding Young Man of India Award of the Indian Jaycees in 1963 and became the National President in 1966.

He was actively connected with the INDO AMERICAN SOCIETY and was elected President twice.He was the President of W.I.A.A. the Western India Automobile Association the largest automobile association of its kind. The main interest of this organization is the welfare of motorist.

He was nominated as a Member of the Task Force set up by the Government of Maharashta in July 2004 comprising of eminent citizens to prepare an action plan for transforming Mumbai into a world class city.

This multi faceted personality is also Advisor and Trustee of many organization like the UDRI- Urban Design & Research Institute, Population First, Bombay First, etc. and Patron of Prashanti Cancer Care Mission, The Estate Agents association of India and Milan International.He the Head of the Jury for the Marshalls Comedy Awards.
Nana Chudasama, was conferred with the title of Padma Shree by the President of India on March 26th 2005 for contribution towards the welfare of the society as a committed social worker.

Constantly in the lime light he is the author of the catchy, popular and thought stimulating banners which appear regularly at Marine Drive in Mumbai which he has now been writing for a record breaking 30 years, a feat which deserves a entry in the Guinness Book of World Record. He is truly an active social commentator and his satirist style of "banner art" is one of the best-known facets of the city.

Social Activist and Fashion Designer Shaina NC is daughter of Nana, He has 4 grand daughters, and a grandson. His oldest granddaughters are Aahana and Aashti Miller.
There has been no aspect of social work which does not bear his imprint.

Nana you are born to serve the society.

Contact:
GIANTS INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
2nd Floor, Orient Club Building,
9,Chowpatty Sea Face,
Mumbai 400 007.
Maharashtra, INDIA.
Telephone : 91-22-2367 9698, 91-22-2368 1774
Fax No. : 91-22-2364 9274
E-mail: support@giantsinternational.org
Website: http://www.giantsinternational.org/home.html


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