People's Democracy

AIDWA Organises Eye & Organ

Donation Day on July 23

AIDWA  pays tribute to Captain Lakshmi Sehgal by launching a campaign to encourage eye and body donation on her first memorial day.

A year back, when Captain Lakshmi Sehgal- AIDWA’s revolutionary leader, freedom fighter, and committed doctor whose dedication to poor women was legendary, passed away, her last contribution to humanity astonished many. The funeral procession, accompanied by thousands of mourners, headed not to the crematorium, but to the Medical College in Kanpur where her body was donated for research purposes. Two needy patients received her eyes, to look on the world with vision anew. It was an inspiring gesture which motivated many to come forward, and subscribe to a cause which has still to gain wide acceptance in our country.  

Today, though we live in a scientific, technological world, modernity has not done away with superstitious beliefs and irrational practices. In most families, prescribed rituals are performed after death as a norm, and even sections of educated people are very much averse to going in for electric crematoriums, leave alone accepting eye or organ donation.

In the AIDWA CEC, the suggestion put forth by national vice president, Subhashini Ali, that the first anniversary of Captain Lakshmi’s death could be commemorated as “ Eye and organ donation day” was heartily endorsed by the committee members.  Subhashini contextualised the importance of this initiative by pointing out that India has the largest number of visually-impaired people in the world. This is largely the result of poverty and malnutrition. It has been calculated that if a significant number of those who die every year were to donate their cornea, sightlessness would cease to be a scourge, she explained. .

The committee discussed how such a decision would strengthen the process of social reform, in a situation where unscientific thinking is still rampant. The members unequivocally agreed that motivating people to go in for organ, or cadaver donation would certainly be a very appropriate way of remembering Capt. Lakshmi Sehgal, and carrying forward her legacy of unstinted service to the people.   

AIDWA calls on its units to organise eye/organ donation camps across the country.