Eye bank founder remembered
“By virtue of his efforts and inspiration, no less than 26 organisations are now actively engaged in spreading awareness for eye donation and eye collection across Bengal and the number of eye collection has gone up from only four in1980 to 4,000 in 2018. But how many people know of Manoranjan Majumder who spearheaded the eye donation movement in the state?” lamented Malay Kumar Ray, general secretary, International Eye Bank.
Ray was speaking at a memorial programme on the 14th death anniversary of Majumdar, organised at the DD Block premise of International Eye Bank on August 13. Majumdar had died on this day in 2004 at his AD Block residence.
“It was the agony of a helpless blind girl that had touched his heart and motivated him to start working for eye donation,” recalled Ray, who had worked alongside him since 1980.
Majumdar worked not only to generate awareness about eye donation but also to open eye banks. He motivated Debashis Bhattacharjee and Samar Basak, chairman cum managing director and director respectively of Disha Eye Hospitals, to open an eye bank at Disha in 1999. He also provided leadership in persuading the state government to form a committee of experts and set up the accredition process for eye banks in 2003.
“He heard about the popularity of eye donation in Sri Lanka and travelled there to learn how to create awareness. Even in his later years, despite ailing health, he went abroad to seek donations so that the International Eye Bank, founded by him in 1980, could survive and continue rendering services. In 2000, when he was 80, Dominique Lapierre introduced Majumdar with Pedro Roquet, a banker from Andorra, who agreed to donate a handsome amount annually for the cause. Through his efforts, International Eye Bank, Calcutta got connected to the American Eye Bank. But after Majumdar’s death financial aid has dried up,” Ray said.
In compliance with his last wish, Sushrut Eye Foundation transplanted his eyes after his death and helped two blind persons regain eyesight.
Committee members and friends gathered at the Eye Bank premises to pay their tribute and garland Majumdar’s portrait. With the National Fortnight for Eye Donation coming up — from August 25 to September 8 — they also urged people not to waste the cornea of their departed family members and donate
Bharati Kanjilal
Chittagong links
Chattogram Parishad, on the occasion of its 28th annual day, presented a cultural evening at Rabindra Okakura Bhawan recently, paying tribute to three literary icons of Bengal — Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Islam and Sukanto Bhattacharya.
Deputy high commissioner, Bangladesh, Toufique Hasan inaugurated the programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp. Lauding the activities of the Parishad, he said that its continued efforts to keep its roots alive for six decades were praiseworthy. Those who were born in Chittagong, he added, were fortunate since the port city is the second largest in Bangladesh and many eminent persons were born there. He also encouraged cultural exchanges through reciprocal visits between the people of the two neighbouring countries to help promote better understanding.
He concluded his speech paying tribute to the three icons of Bengal with a self-composed poem.
Other dignitaries present included Biswajiban Majumdar, former chairperson of Bidhannagar Municipality, homeopath G.P. Sarkar of the Allen Group, theatre personality Shampa Sen, president of Chattogram Parishad Ashis Dutta and secretary Gopal Das.
After the felicitation of the guests and deliberations on the three icons, there was a colourful cultural programme. Girls of different age groups presented a dance drama titled Raag Ranjali, directed by Arpita Bhattacharjee. Samir Mondal recited a self-composed poem on his recent experience of visiting Bangladesh. Biswajiban Majumdar also read out a Tagore poem.
Sajal Shyam, Dilip Karmakar, Sonali Bhattacharjee and Sikha Saha also put up recitation performances. Rabindrasangeet and Nazrulgeeti were presented by Alolika Dasgupta, Sunanda Bhattacharjee, Mary Bhattacharjee, Tapan Bhattacharjee, Hritapa and Swapan Chatterjee. Sajal Shyam was the compere for the evening.
Bharati Kanjilal
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