Gandhiji gave a call to the nation that unless the wave of giving and sharing replaces the instinct for grabbing, the nation will not stand united against all odds. Science has opened new vistas for us. Now we can share even our blood with our fellow brethren.
Dr. Ambedkar was once asked as to what India was. He replied, "India is an amorphous crowd!" To the question as to how this amorphous crowd would become integrated, Dr. Ambedkar replied "Integration of a Society is achieved through three things:
(1) Spirit of sharing
(2) Urge for Communi¬cation and
(3)Points of contact between various units comprising it." One can now share one's blood with an unknown needy Indian and bring him in the fold of one's blood relations without harming oneself! Where there is no provision to store blood, one can register one's name with the hospital and offer his blood when the hospital needs it.
At the time of the Indo-Pak conflict, one soldier from Kerala fought very courageously. His spirit of sacrifice and willingness to lay his life for the defence of the motherland was very much appreciated. He was hono¬ured by the Government. After a few months he returned to his native place. Local people decided to organise a public meeting to honour him. As it would always be in acountry like India, every speaker spoke very highly of him but tried to identify him with some parochial group. One speaker who was a Nair said boastfully, "The blood of Nair Community has always been the defender of freedom of this country and as such we Nairs are very proud of him!" The soldier became disturbed.
Another gentleman rose to his feet. He was not a Nair, but he belonged to the same place. This gentleman said, "Man is made out of five elements as everybody knows. The element of earth here is so powerful that it produces men like this great hero ! We people of this place are really very proud of him. The land mass here has rushed to defend the honour of the Himalayas!"
The soldier became restless at these utter-ances but had to listen to this irrelevent speech-making patiently out of courtesy.
Then came his turn. He had to express his gratitude to them. He stood on the dias and said, "Friends, I am very happy for the love out of which you gave me such high compliments. Unfortunately you know only a part of the whole story. I really fought very courage¬ously and I am very proud to have proved a gallant soldier. But I was seriously wounded and was taken to the hospital. The doctors there told the military authorities that with¬out blood transfusion there was very little hope of my survival! And friends the blood was found and that is why I am here today with you. But I do not know whose blood it was. It was the blood of some unknown Indian; now there is no Nair blood or the blood of this place or that in my veins! The blood is only Indian blood. I no more belong to this or that caste or this or that place. I am now out and out an Indian!"
Blood sharing is a multi-dimensional pro-gramme. Sharing is one dimension, another dimension is its challenge to the caste system which takes its stand on the idea of purity of blood! Science tells us that the idea of purity of blood with reference to caste system is a myth. The blood group of even blood relations is not always the same!
There is another interesting but sad story about this idea of caste blood! A pregnant Muslim lady came to a charitable hospital. Her condition was very critical and the doctors advised blood transfusion. The blood group of the members of the family did not suit the blood group of the patient. Her husband went out in search of suitable blood, but could not get it! Out of compassion, the doctor herself gave her own blood since it was of the same group. When the husband of the patient came along with some of his relations, he found the patient to be improv¬ing and inquired enthusiastically about the reasons. The doctor was very much disturbed due to their neglect and in anger she said, "You careless creatures! You had no sym¬pathy for the ailing lady. Every moment was very important, but you did not turn up. So ultimately I had to offer my own blood! Life of a lady is worthless for people like you. Woman you feel is a creature for your en¬joyment. You are so inhuman that had I the power I should have caned you for your misbehaviour. Anyway, you should be happy that her life is saved!"
The reaction to these words was most cruel! They started shouting "Oh! toba toba I Kafir ka khoon diya! Chalo us koyahanse utha le chalen!!" and without listening to the doctor's advice the patient was taken away from the hospital and died on the way home! This type of ignorance prevails in the society and this programme of blood sharing is but a fight against this ignorance that divides man from man. Antar Bharati gives much stress on this aspect of blood sharing.
Instead of slogan raising against the caste system,young men should rise in constructive revolt against it by organising blood sharing programmes on a large scale on our national days like Independence Day or the Republic Day.N.S. C., Seva Dal, R. S. S., S.Y. S. Youth Congress, Students' Federation and other or¬ganisations can organise similar programmes.
An interesting news item which appeared in the press recently is relevant in this con¬text. There were earthquakes of very serious type in Peru in South America. Large number of people were injured and thousands became homeless. Out of compassion Mrs. Nixon, the wife of the U. S. President, collected food, clothes, medicines and was to fly to Peru. It is said that De Castro of Cuba was very much disturbed. He thought that the U. S. will thus disturb his sphere of influence. All the same, he could not oppose this act of compassion. Only way open to him was to do something which would out¬match the U. S. It was not possible for him to compete in terms of supplies. So he asked his doctors to take some of his blood and flew it to the people of Peru to whom he said "I am sharing something very vital in my life with those who have suffered on account of the earthquakes. Please accept this small gift from me and oblige!" This had tremendous effect on the minds of the people of Peru. This small bottle of blood outweighed the amentities flown by the wife of the U. S. President!
Science has opened new vistas for sharing very vital things. We have heard Shri Jai Prakash Narain and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi offering their eye-balls to the eye- bank after their deaths. Those who subscribe to the idea of Antar Bharati or the idea of national integration can undertake to or-ganise blood sharing programmes. We generally raise only slogans for national integra-tion. Our young generation is fed up with these slogans. If we give concrete, programmes like blood sharing, it gives them something worthwhile to do.