Kolkata: It could well be that Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu took the decision to pledge his body for medical research in his customary matter-of-fact manner, with a deadpan face. But his gesture, a rarity among politicians in India, has seen a great leap in body donations in West Bengal in the year since his death.
Today is the former chief minister's first death anniversary. Pledges for body donation have leapfrogged by over 50 per cent in the past year, non-governmental organisations working in the field told IANS.
Ganadarpan, the central co-ordinating NGO on body donation in the state, has received around 75,000 pledges from people of various age groups after Basu's death as against an average of 50,000 in previous years.
Basu, 95, who had a record 23-year stint as chief minister of an Indian state and almost became the country's prime minister in 1996, died on January 17 last year.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader's body was donated to state-owned SSKM Hospital for medical science according to his wish.
"We have received 75,000 pledges since last year regarding body donations. Before Basu's death we used to receive 50,000 pledges a year," Ganadarpan general secretary Brojo Roy said.
More than 85 per cent of the pledges culminate in body donation, Roy said.
Another NGO corroborated Roy. "We have received over 65,000 pledges from people eager to donate bodies. The number has indeed increased since Basu's death. Many people are pledging and filling up body donation forms," said Uttar Kolkata Udayer Pathe joint secretary Sanjoy Ghosh.
Today is the former chief minister's first death anniversary. Pledges for body donation have leapfrogged by over 50 per cent in the past year, non-governmental organisations working in the field told IANS.
Ganadarpan, the central co-ordinating NGO on body donation in the state, has received around 75,000 pledges from people of various age groups after Basu's death as against an average of 50,000 in previous years.
Basu, 95, who had a record 23-year stint as chief minister of an Indian state and almost became the country's prime minister in 1996, died on January 17 last year.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader's body was donated to state-owned SSKM Hospital for medical science according to his wish.
"We have received 75,000 pledges since last year regarding body donations. Before Basu's death we used to receive 50,000 pledges a year," Ganadarpan general secretary Brojo Roy said.
More than 85 per cent of the pledges culminate in body donation, Roy said.
Another NGO corroborated Roy. "We have received over 65,000 pledges from people eager to donate bodies. The number has indeed increased since Basu's death. Many people are pledging and filling up body donation forms," said Uttar Kolkata Udayer Pathe joint secretary Sanjoy Ghosh.
