Organ donor activist to cover 17,500-km on bike

A 68-year-old farmer-turned-activist Pramod Laxman Mahajan was in Mangaluru as part of his pan-India motorbike tour to build awareness about organ donation.

The tour which was flagged off by the organisers ReBirth Foundation in association with the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC), Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation in Pune on January 18, completed 8 days on Sunday.

As part of the tour titled 'Bharat Organ Yatra’; Mahajan will continue the onward journey riding his motorcycle from Mangaluru and will visit 194 cities in 124 days covering a distance of nearly 17,500 km.

This is Mahajan’s second yatra. In the first yatra a year ago, he visited 19 states covering a distance of 12,500 km on his bike in 100 days.

In the second edition of the ‘Organ Yatra’, he will visit north-eastern states and union territories like Diu Daman.

Mahajan accompanied by staff of Jeeva Sarthakathe spoke on organ donation during his brief stay.

“I motivate people because I am not merely talking about organ donation. I donated one of my kidneys to a CISF jawan 15 years ago. I am proof that kidney donors can lead a normal and healthy life,” he added.

Mahajan said the overwhelming response he received in the first yatra prompted him to take up the second one. During the first organ yatra, police personnel in Bhopal filled up organ donation forms.

“People are still clueless about the intricacies and the necessity of organ donation. At Indore I guided students to download donation forms from our foundation’s website,” recollected Mahajan who is also a member of ReBirth foundation.

“Even animals live for others. Only humans live for themselves,” said Mahajan citing reasons behind the low figure of organ transplantation in Mangaluru.

Everybody needs organs irrespective of caste or religion. “If accepting donor organs is allowed in ‘dharma’, then why not donate,” he asked.

“Recently, a Muslim allowed doctors to harvest his brain-dead son’s organs for donation in Sholapur,” he pointed out.

Mahajan says he is fit and enjoys good health as he is not fussy about food during the journey. Before riding to his next destination in Kerala, he says his donation and bike tour would not have been possible without the support of his wife Susheela Mahajan and family. Mahajan’s ride will end in Pune on May 28, 2020.