Residents and pupils take out a prabhat pheri (morning procession) on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary in Bhagalpur on Thursday. Homemakers,too, took to the streets and aired slogans like Tum hamein khoon do, hum tumhe azaadi denge (Give me blood, I shall give you freedom). A blood camp was organised by the local unit of Bihar Bengalee Association. “We could not give blood to Netaji, for whom we enjoy freedom but we have the opportunity to donate our blood for the cause of the society, to save lives,” said Madhurima Mitra, a housewife. Ishita Karan (18), a law student in Noida, who had came down to her home for vacation, too, came forward for the cause. She said: “I am donating blood for the first time. It is a bit painful but I gathered courage from the portrait of Netaji.” In the morning, more than 300 students participated in the procession taken out from Durga Charan High School campus. Dr L.K. Sahay flagged off the rally. Participants marched to the tune of Kadam kadam badhaye jaa. Moving through different roads, the procession concluded at Lajpat Park. In Motihari, students and members of Bihari Bengalee Association paid tributes to Netaji at Subhas Park. A blood camp was organised by volunteers of the association on the premises of Bhavani Mandap. Text by Gautam Sarkar and RN Sinha, picture by Amit Kumar