Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi dunga.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's clarion call to countrymen had been for a greater cause.

On Friday, taking inspiration from Netaji, the local chapter of Bihar Bengalee Association had organised a blood donation camp. Many residents donated blood for the first time in their lives to honour Netaji on his birth anniversary.

Dilip Roy (65), a hotel owner, who lost his daughter-in-law Rupa Roy (41) last year in a road mishap, said he had realised the importance of blood donation. Rupa had succumbed to injuries owing to excessive blood loss.

Apart from the camp, the members of the organisation had also organised prabhat pheri (morning procession) in honour of the great freedom fighter.

Jyoti Pandey (23) a resident of Kailashpuri and a student of company secretaryship course, too, donated blood for the first time. 'I was very impressed by the association, which has been fighting for a noble cause. That is the reason I came here,' she said.

Apart from first-timers, others like Madhumita Mitra (55), a homemaker, who has been donating blood for the past few years, took part in the camp.

'Netaji had urged people to sacrifice their lives for freedom. Today, we are donating blood to save lives,' said Sudha Gupta, a social activist from Sewa, a voluntary organisation.

According to association member Nirupam Kanti Pal, on the evening of January 21, a rally had been taken out from Champanagar to create awareness for the camp. The association members had also organised a projector show in which celebrities urged people to donate blood. Pal said association president Amita Moitra and secretary Uttam Devnath were in Calcutta after Bihar Bengalee Association, Bhagalpur, was invited to attend a national meet titled Total Voluntary Blood Programme Vision 2020. He said the programme would be organised by Association of Voluntary Blood Donors.

The association has been organising meets of blood donors, motivators, organisers and experts since 1985 to exchange ideas and knowledge on blood donation.

'Strategies would be discussed to ensure safe blood transfusion. The meet is scheduled from today and would conclude on January 25,' Pal said. The Bhagalpur unit of Bihar Bengalee Association is one among 150 participants.

Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation mayor Deepak Bhubania, who visited the blood donation camp, appreciated the efforts of the association. He said: 'Bihar Bengalee Association has done an exemplary work for a great cause on the occasion of the birth anniversary of a great freedom fighter.'

Till the filing of this report, 79 people, including 40 women, had donated blood. Somnath Sarkar, a member of the association, said: 'The number of donors are expected to go up in the second half of the day.'

Earlier in the morning, an impressive prabhat pheri (morning procession) was taken out from Durga Charan High School ground. School students and members of different social organisations took part in the rally, which passed through different parts of the city and concluded at Lajpat Park.