When women’s power became music to ears

The occasion was the unique musical display arranged by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development for Women (CED), a wing of the Canara Bank, at the Tagore Theatre this evening. Unique it was in all aspects, for here was a bunch of ordinary women breaking the barriers of inhibitions to put up a splendid show which smelt of their individual success throughout.

The programme was inaugurated by the Gujrals, Inder Kumar and wife Sheila, and was presided over by K. Vijayaraghavan, Regional Director of the RBI, H.D. Pai, General Manager of the Canara Bank and M. Gokuldas, the DGM. The show was the brainchild of Geeta Goyal, the director of CED, and commenced with an interesting `nutshell of the Canara family’. But the star of this piece was little Vinay, a student of Class IV at the Chandigarh Baptist School in Sector 45, who summed up the bank’s motto in his sweet but clear words.

After a dance sequence bringing in the wedding ceremony presented by the Dev Samaj Polytechnic in Sector 20, the women of the day took over. The theme was highlighted through a crisp dance piece to the tune of "Dil hai chhota sa, Choti si aasha….’ to which the bank sang "Aa chal ke tujhe..’.The entrepreneurs were presented along with their products on stage and an accompanying piece of choreography, performed either by girls or by children.Around 28 women were given financial assistance through the CED and all of them have set up their business in the city. For, as K. Vijayaraghavan pointed out, women produce better quality products. "The banks find it easier to deal with them for they are prompt in repaying the loan," he noted. So, this unique musical evening definitely was a trendsetter of sorts.