Last week when the nation paid tribute to the martyrs and heroes of the 26/11 terror attack by organising various events and candle light vigils,a group of policemen in the city joined in by pledging their eyes.
Since we could not be part of the team that took on the terrorists on 26/11,we decided to make a difference in the society in a small way, said assistant police inspector Satish Nikam of Shikrapur police,who initiated the plan on November 26.
Since then,39 more policemen from the same station have pledged their eyes. It is little known that visually-impaired people are almost never involved in any criminal cases and they are the most vulnerable section of all handicapped people. This motivated us , Nikam said.
In the coming days,12 more police personnel will pledge their eyes. When I brought up this issue,all my colleagues readily agreed,Nikam said.
After pledging his eyes,police sub inspector Rajaram Chavan has motivated his family members to follow in his footsteps. My husbands initiative inspired me and I feel there could be nothing better than giving the gift of sight to someone who desperately needs it, said Seema Chavan,Chavans wife.
The policemen approached the Pune Netra Pratishthan and learnt more about eye donation before finalising it. It was heartening to see so many police personnel approaching us together for eye donation, said Dr Satish Desai of Pune Netra Pratishthan.