Finance Minister vows to donate eyes, honours donor families

Ranchi: On the occasion of the 40th National Eye Donation Fortnight, a grand “Blindfolded Run for Vision” was organised at St. Xavier’s College campus in Ranchi, jointly hosted by the Eye Donation Awareness Club and Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank. The event saw active participation from hundreds of enthusiastic students from St. Xavier’s College, Ursuline Inter College, NSS volunteers, and several eminent citizens.

Chief guest and Finance Minister Radhakrishan Kishore flagged off the run by releasing colourful balloons into the sky. Later, he took centre stage not only to encourage the participants but also to set an example. In an emotionally charged address, he declared, “I consider myself fortunate to be among you all today. I have taken the pledge to donate my eyes. I will go home and inform my family members that after my death, if Dr. Bharati Kashyap and her team come for my eyes, no one should stop them. If my eyes can bring light into someone’s life, what could be more meaningful?”

Kishore added, “I wholeheartedly congratulate Dr. Bharati Kashyap and her team for this movement that breaks myths and removes doubts from society. Today, not only should we open our eyes, but also open the eyes of our hearts, so we can truly see and serve those in need. As long as I remain in public life and in government, I promise to serve Jharkhand without discrimination — not on the basis of caste or community, but purely on the basis of humanity.”

The event also featured an awareness rally with participation from IMA Ranchi and Jharkhand chapters, Jharkhand State Service Association, FJCCI, and faculty and students of both participating colleges. Finance Minister Kishore honoured 30 families who had donated eyes of their loved ones posthumously, thanking them for their invaluable contribution to restoring sight.

Run for Vision, which has now been organised continuously for 23 years, included its seventh consecutive year of the blindfolded run format — an initiative designed to create empathy by allowing participants to experience temporary blindness. Eye Donation Awareness Club President Anuj Sinha welcomed the guests and emphasised the importance of widespread awareness to counter misconceptions around eye donation.

Winners of the blindfolded run were felicitated by dignitaries including Dr. Anirban Gupta, Dr. Pradeep Singh (Secretary, IMA Jharkhand), Dr. Shekhar Choudhary (President, IMA Ranchi), Dr. Bimlesh Singh (President, Jharkhand State Service Association), Paresh Gattani (President, FJCCI Ranchi), Padma Shri Mukund Nayak, and Dr. B. P. Kashyap (Director, Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital). Institutions that supported the awareness campaign were also honoured.

Dr. Bharati Kashyap, Medical Director of Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank, shared that the organisation has conducted 1,015 corneal transplants so far, including 490 in the past five years — without any burden on government infrastructure or funding. She proudly stated that their team pioneered eye transplant efforts in Bihar and Jharkhand and continues to lead in numbers.

Highlighting the stark gap between need and availability, she added, “India sees nearly 10 million deaths annually, yet we receive only about 50,000 corneas — and only 30,000 are successfully transplanted. With over 250,000 patients awaiting corneal transplants, the gap is alarming. The biggest obstacle remains societal myths around eye donation. This issue needs not just awareness but a robust system and resource mobilisation.”

The Blindfolded Run for Vision continues to stand as a unique initiative in India, aiming not just to raise awareness but to ignite a culture of empathy, action, and responsibility — one eye at a time.