Ranchi: On the occasion of the 40th National Eye Donation Fortnight, a grand “Blindfolded Run for Vision” was organised at St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, jointly hosted by the Eye Donation Awareness Club and Kashyap Memorial Eye Bank. Hundreds of students, NSS volunteers, and citizens enthusiastically took part.
Chief guest and Finance Minister Radhakrishan Kishore flagged off the event by releasing colourful balloons. In his address, he pledged to donate his eyes and said, “If my eyes can bring light into someone’s life, nothing could be more meaningful. I have informed my family not to stop the doctors if they come for my eyes after my death.”
He also praised Dr. Bharati Kashyap and her team for dispelling myths about eye donation, adding that he would continue serving Jharkhand on the basis of humanity, beyond caste or community lines.
The event included a rally with IMA Ranchi and Jharkhand chapters, Jharkhand State Service Association, FJCCI, and students from both colleges. The minister honoured 30 families who donated the eyes of their loved ones.
The Blindfolded Run for Vision, held for 23 years, entered its seventh year of blindfolded participation — allowing people to experience temporary blindness and build empathy.
Dr. Bharati Kashyap highlighted that their organisation has performed 1,015 corneal transplants so far, including 490 in the last five years without government support. She noted that while India sees about 10 million deaths annually, only 30,000 corneal transplants happen against a waiting list of 2.5 lakh patients, mainly due to myths around eye donation.
The initiative continues to stand out as a unique awareness campaign, encouraging empathy, responsibility, and action — one eye at a time.