When visually impaired became eyes of the sighted

BANGALORE: Aruna Rani, a government primary school teacher, recently died in a road accident at the age of 64. But her eyes live on. After she passed away, Rani’s son Ashish rushed her body to a hospital on Bellary Road to fulfill her wish to donate her eyes.
Ashish was among some 600 Bangaloreans who walked blindfolded on Sunday evening to spread awareness on eye donation.More than 100 visually-impaired people handheld nearly 500 men, women and children as part of the first Blind Walk 2014.
The one-km walk, which began at the MG Road Metro Station, saw an overwhelming participation by students, doctors, businessmen and social organizations. Chief commissioner for persons with disabilities (PWD) Prasanna Kumar Pincha flagged off the event and led the walkers, who crossed the Anil Kumble Circle to reach Jawahar Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park. A cultural programme was also part of the initiative.
“It is amazing to see such massive support pouring in for this social cause,” said an ecstatic Pincha. Though he was slated to address the concluding programme, he left the venue as he was exhausted after the activity.
Fr George Kannanthanam, director, The Project Vision (TPV), organizers of the walk, said, “One third of the world’s blind persons are in India — 15 million of the 39 million. We were moved by this shocking figure and decided to do something to bring about a change. We are now striving to make the eye donation process easy and effective”.
He requested the PWD to replicate across the country the Karnataka model of the 104 helpline under which the kin of a deceased person can contact any eye bank close to them. This has to be done within the six golden hours in which the eyes can be harvested.
“With nearly 200-300 people dying every day in the city, about 600 people with corneal blindness can regain vision if everyone pledges to donate their eyes,” said Srividya, a Class 7 student, a participant.
The next walk will be held in Jayanagar on August 31, followed by another in Yeshwantpur on September 7.