Akhil Bharatiya Drishtiheen Kalyan Sangh, a prominent organisation working for the integrated development of visually challenged persons of the country, has started an eye donation awareness campaign from Kashmir to Kanyakumari from April 22. The campaign, which began from Pune by train, would conclude in Pune itself on May 16. The volunteers of the campaign will reach Delhi on April 30 and will stay in Delhi till May 2.
The campaign is a creation of Acharya Dr Madhusudan Ghanekar, a Pune-based wellknown and unique personality in the field of hand-writing, signature analysis and author of several books in this field. The campaign would cover about 7,500-km distance. The whole distance would be covered by train. During the campaign the team of the total five activists led by Dr Ghanekar would interact with people through a very unique project called signature analysis campaign and would promote eye donation.
During the campaign, awareness programmes would be conducted in trains and at railway stations also. The volunteers would also meet various VIPs like President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, various Chief Ministers, Ministers, top social workers, students and common citizens. The Drishtiheen Kalyan Sangh has decided to interact with at least one lakh people during the campaign.
Last year also the Kalyan Sangh had undertaken a similar campaign in Maharashtra, which covered the distance of about 5000 km. A team of 25 workers had participated in the campaign. During this campaign a total of 22 eye banks were established in the state. This is a fact that out of one crore 30 lakh visually challenged people in the country, 40 lakh can get back their sight if the corneas are made available through eye donation. The campaign is an effort to grant sight to all these 40 lakh persons.
President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Vice President Shri Bahiron Singh Shekhawat, RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan, former Prime Minister Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi have sent their best wishes for the success of the campaign.
Presently the Drishtiheen Kalyan Sangh runs 37 Madhav Eye Banks in 10 states, Madhav Audio Book Library for visually challenged persons, Madhav Internet Caf? and Resources Management Centre for visually challenged persons. It has a team of expert surgeons and dedicated volunteers working for the specific motive of eye donation movement. (FOC)
