On the 76th Independence Day
(Dr Shankar Chatterjee)
Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 every year. The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949, and came into effect on January 26, 1950. Under the leadership of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Sab, Indians enjoy the Constitution. The Constitution replaced the Government of India Act of 1935 as the governing document of India, thus turning the nation from a dominion into a Republic following its independence from the British Raj in 1947. January 26 was chosen because the Indian National Congress proclaimed Purna Swaraj (complete independence) in 1930 on this date. Republic Day is celebrated with parades, speeches, cultural events, ceremonies, and other public and private events celebrating India’s history, government, and traditions.
Blood donation camp and other cultural activities were organized on the 76th Republic Day in the Libdom Villa campus of Hyderabad. The campus of Libdom Villa (Raj Reddy Valley), Bandlaguda Jagir, Hyderabad, is spread over 17 acres of land, having all facilities – indoor and outdoor games, gym, park, swimming pool, function hall, etc. Altogether, 190 families (a few might be unoccupied) live in this gated community. The residents are of different religions, castes, and languages (people of various States), representing a mini-India in the true sense, and residents celebrate all festivals amicably. It is, in a true sense, a mini-India.
Altogether, 35 people, including six women, donated their blood on the Libdom Villa campus. In this context, it may be noted that according to WHO, blood donation by 1% of the population is generally taken as the minimum need to meet a nation’s essential requirements for blood. In contrast, the requirements are higher in countries with more advanced healthcare systems. However, there is no evidentiary support or accessible statistical model to substantiate this hypothesis. As per the above norm, India’s demand for blood is around 13.1 million blood units (1% of the 1.3 billion population) (Source: National Estimation of Blood Requirement in India, 2018).
Ten people from the nearby area voluntarily came and donated blood; thus, the total figure was 35, including six women. The expenses of this noble cause were borne by one villa resident, P Ravi Shankar, and the Blood Camp was set up and monitored under the leadership of medical surgeon Dr Deleep Gudipudi (villa resident), who arranged the infrastructure and staff members. The event was held at the clubhouse of the Lidbom Villa campus. The residents were joyous for organizing such a noble activity for the first time on the villa campus.
(Dr Shankar Chatterjee is a former Professor & Head (CPME), NIRD & PR, Hyderabad, India)
 (Source: National Estimation){kind=link}