Four MLAs pledge to donate eyes

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 25

For the first time in the history of Manipur, four MLAs including speaker, Y. Khemchand pledged formally to donate their eyes to facilitate blind people. They signed the pledge today during the inaugural function of the Eye Donation Campaign Fortnight at Iboyaima Sumang Leela Sanglen, Imphal.

The other three MLAs are L. Radhakishore Singh, Sapam Ranjan Singh and Heikham Dingo Singh and the campaign was organised by Samdrushti Kshamata Vikash Evam Anusandhan Mandal (SAKSHAM), Manipur.

As a part of the campaign the chief guest, speaker Y. Khemchand along with the other three MLAs walked blind-folded with other volunteers to highlight the plight of blind people.

Delivering the chief guest speech, Khemchand said that his heart is touched by the plight of blind people as they are not able to see the colour and beauty of nature.

Donating eyes after death will be a great contribution to uplift the misery of blind people and is an act of true humanity, he added.

The president of the function, MLA, L. Radhakishore said that because of the advance of medical science, people affected with polio have been on a decline. Donating eyes after death will be great contribution in doing the same for blind people, giving them a whole new life.

He appealed to the people to join the campaign and pledge to contribute their eyes with pride as it will be the greatest gift they can think of giving blind people and humanity.

Giving the key note address, SAKSHAM general secretary, Jasobanta Sapam said that reason for very low number of eye donor in the state is lake of awareness among general public, insufficient facilities in hospitals and social and religious myths.

He said that eyes transplantation is the most successful organs transplants and the rate of successful surgery is 95 percent.

Jasobanta appealed to the people of the state to pledge to donate their eyes to give a new life to blind people.