Please, let there be light!

She was standing at the bus stop, waiting for her bus to arrive. As a bus neared the stop, she tried to figure out if it was her route. Alas! She could not read the number board. She had been experiencing this for a few days now. It seemed as though the world was gradually blurring right in front of her. In the next few months, she completely lost her vision. Doctors exchanged glances, raised eyebrows. Diagnosis:  ‘Retinitis Pigmentosa’. She was blindfolded for life.

When one door closes, another opens. When one sense shuts down, another sharpens. In fact, all the others do. Undeterred, she pursued her passion for music. She developed an uncanny ability to memorize long verses and passages. She exercised great sense of caution in whatever she did. She completed her formal education and landed a government job. She learnt cooking. She got married and mothered a handsome boy. The lady in question is one of those women who inspire me in every way, every day. She is someone who is very close to me and my heart. Holding her hand and guiding her has been one of the most gratifying moments of my life.

What I find terribly unfortunate is that her condition is irreparable. But there are so many others who aren’t that unfortunate; there are those who cling on to hope.  Hoping that they would get an eye for transplant. Some die after living a life of unfulfilled hope.

So where are these eyes? Where do they come from? They come from dead people, WITHIN SIX HOURS OF DEATH. They come from all kinds of people, - young, old, people who met with accidents; people who lived to die a natural death, people who had cataracts, people who had eye power etc. All these eyes are perfectly fit to be donated. But considering statistics, they don’t seem to come in great numbers. This is one area where demand grossly exceeds supply. Even those, who pledged to donate their eyes, leave the world without their last wish fulfilled, just because some relative thought eye donation is gross or someone felt too embarrassed to bring up the topic or simply, no one bothered.

Image courtesy: yash.info and google search

Charity begins at home. Change begins at home too.  Here are a few things that each one of us can do to help change the situation:

1. Bust the myths. Donating eyes does not leave scars. Nor does it disfigure the face. In fact, one cannot make out that the eyes have been donated. I've personally witnessed this in my family, so take my word.

2. Don’t hesitate to talk about it with the close relatives of the deceased. It’s okay if they think you are a bad person. It’s OKAY to be called a bad person if there is hope of someone regaining vision.

3. Store eye bank numbers in your emergency number list. If you are in India, just remember you can dial 108 and they may be able to guide you. You may be the bereaved, but do not let your emotions overcome you at the moment. Think about it – your loved one will continue to see the world through someone’s eyes.

4. Spread the word. Remember, pledging your eyes isn't a big deal. Actually donating them is. Actually calling an eye bank on time is. Talking to your friends and relatives and making them donate their loved one's eyes is.

An NGO, which has been striving for this cause is NayanaJyothi, founded by the very enterprising Mr. Jayaraman.  They have been attacking the problem at various levels, be it awareness, logistics, training and implementation etc. and have been successful to some extent. I’d like to help this organization in whatever way I can and play a small part in their strides towards a noble goal and cause.

A life lived in dreams,

In hues of black and white,

Let the colours splash,

Let there be light!

Mortal bodies as vehicles,

Immortal souls alight

Leaving behind the eyes, for

Let there be light!

Endless days of hope

And a life fraught with fright,

For all those tormented souls,

Let there be light!

Millions of lives

Struggling day and night,

For all those who deserve,

Let there be light!

Image courtesy: dreyeins.info and google search

P.S 1: Did you know? Every pair of eyes taken from a person is used to illuminate the lives of two! Yes, eyes are so scarce that even if the receiver is fully blind in both the eyes, he gets only one eye.  (The team from the eye bank who came to take my granny's eyes told me this)

P.S 2: This post is my small contribution to the 'ISB iDiya-Indiblogger Indichange initiative'. Find more details about this here.

Malini's eye view - Indiblogger TOI bloggers meet - Bangalore

We bloggers dwell in the virtual world. We flock together. We emote together.  The only hitch is that we do not know each other. At least I do not, being a new entrant in the blogging world. Hence, when the Times of India - Indiblogger meet in Bangalore was announced, I was more than happy to grab the opportunity. This was my first chance to meet my virtual acquaintances in flesh and blood. 

This meet was not just any other blogger meet. It was a meet for a cause. A discussion on' Bangalore for Women'. While I was expecting mostly women, the number of men in the room was quite a revelation. (To be honest, I thought they'll just sign up on a whim and just not turn up. Sorry guys!) In fact, both genders were well represented. 

There was hardly any ice breaking needed, as for many, it was their second or third meet. But for me, this was the first time, so it took me a while to get used to the environs. Especially, people expect you to introduce yourself by saying your name followed by your blog name! Quite amusing. Within a few minutes, I got into the groove.

The session started off with Mr. Franklin Joseph giving a lightning talk on women's safety in general. He requested women to carry off themselves with confidence rather than cower with fear.

The talk was followed by a discussion on women's issues plaguing the city. Overall, it was a very meaningful one. An intriguing thing that I observed was that a lot of people who had turned up had come to voice a specific concern. That ensured that a broad range of topics were covered. Here are a few pointers from the pre-lunch session:

1. Safety of girls with special needs. A lady blogger brought out several valid points and also mentioned how grossly under-represented they are in the special schools meant for them. 

2. Significance of knowing self-defence and exuding confidence, especially for the differently abled. 

3. Child sexual abuse - many mothers voiced their constant fear of keeping their children safe. Some also talked about safety in housing complexes.

4. Safety in public transport especially buses and autos. One lady blogger narrated how a ‘Good Samaritan’ auto-driver helped her reach home safe. 

5. Problems that the working women face in Bangalore. This section was again well represented. Problems in procuring a rented house, problems at workplace etc. all were talked about. A lady blogger narrated a shocking incident which clearly brought out the stark reality.

6. One topic that attracted a lot of opinions was the dressing sense of modern women. While a section argued that women are free to wear whatever they want, a few others opined that ladies should exercise caution when deciding on their attire. 

7. I had been there to voice a specific concern as well -  public toilets and sanitation facilities, especially for the poor and lower middle class women. I also talked about the lack of safety and sanitation facilities in upcoming construction project sites and the slums around the same.

8. Sexual assault on women. 

The post-lunch session saw three of TOI's editors sharing space with the bloggers. Mr. Narayanan Krishnaswami, one of the editors, provided his insights into the topic and explained what TOI is trying to achieve with their focus on 'Bangalore for Women'. The editors also solicited feedback and suggestions to help them make their campaign better and here are a few highlights from that brainstorming session:

1. More coverage on the root cause of the problems.

2. More workshops to educate and spread awareness among women.  

3. Setting up a helpline/Spread awareness about helplines that exist to protect women.

4. Partner with schools and help in inculcating knowledge about good touch/bad touch in children. 

5. Tying up with other forms of media such as TV and radio to spread awareness among the different sections of the society.

In a nutshell, it was an afternoon well spent. However, I couldn't help but think how far-fetched the practical solutions seemed. All problems and potential solutions discussed revolved around a fulcrum - a fundamental change in the way the society treats women. But 'society' is something that even we are a part of, right? So, I strongly believe that kind of a change must start at home. Every home, which includes ours too.

Teach our boys to respect girls.

Teach our girls to distinguish between good and bad touch. 

Apply presence of mind in difficult situations. 

Never hesitate to help a woman in difficulty.

If the maid's daughter stopped going to the school just because she attained puberty, try talking to the mother. 

If someone abused/bad mouthed the girl in the bus, just don't be a mute spectator, but do the bare minimum, at least give a cold stare.

Refrain from passing judgemental comments just because a girl wears western clothes.

Blog and spread awareness!

Those are a few things that we can change about ourselves. We may not necessarily be able to bring about a tangible change in the society, but a small effort in that direction will certainly go a long way.