Chandigarh: Punjab governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria inaugurated the All-India Motivators Meet 2026 in Chandigarh, organised as a tribute to Padma Shri late Kanta Krishen, who spearheaded the voluntary blood donation movement across the Tricity and India.Addressing the gathering, Kataria praised Kanta Krishen as a pioneer in the field and lauded motivators for their life-saving work, noting that the voluntary blood donation movement originated in Chandigarh.On the occasion, the governor presented the first FBDOI Mrs Kanta Krishen Lifetime Achievement Award to Blood Bank Society president ML Sarin—a 115-time blood donor—for over 60 years of continuous contribution to the movement. Additionally, the FBDOI HD Shourie Memorial Award was conferred on Amit Banerjee for 36 years of association with the movement, the FBDOI Mother Teresa Memorial Award was presented to the Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Society, Hyderabad, and the Mahesh Bhai Memorial Award went to The Red Cross Blood Centre, Ahmedabad.Guest of honour Dr Vivek Lal, director, PGIMER, recalled donating blood for a patient as a resident doctor on the asking of Dr. J.G. Jolly. Highlighting the Blood Bank Society’s path-breaking work, he informed the gathering that Chandigarh ranks first in the country in blood collection from voluntary donors.Earlier, in his welcome address, ML Sarin spoke about the pioneering efforts of Kanta Krishen, known as the “Mother of Voluntary Blood Donation in India,” who was introduced to the cause by Dr JG Jolly. Sarin urged the Chandigarh Administration to feature this history on its website as the “Social Heritage of Chandigarh”.Chandigarh Citizen Foundation (CCF) president Gen VP Malik (retd) commended the motivators for their dedication and noted that women have driven major changes in social practices, with Kanta Krishen standing out among them.Delegates from 22 states and Union Territories attended the conference, where new norms and criteria for blood donation motivation were shared alongside interactive quizzes, real-life experiences, and innovative motivational methods.The meet was jointly organised by the Blood Bank Society, Federation of Blood Donor Organisations of India (FBDOI), Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology (Chandigarh), and the Chandigarh Citizens Foundation.
