A classical music evening, ‘Strings of Passion’, was hosted by a bank at Tagore Theatre to promote eye donation. The event urged people to pledge their eyes to help restore vision to those with corneal blindness. Sitarist Dr Meghnad Bhowmik, violinist Pandit Bidyut Mishra and tabla player Siddhartha Chatterjee performed. Prof Reena Dhillon and Damanpreet anchored the evening.
Dr Ashok Sharma, Honorary Secretary of the Bank, said the programme aimed to build public awareness about eye donation. Pledging one’s eyes, he said, is a humanitarian act that can bring light to people living with corneal blindness. A PGI-trained ophthalmologist (MS, 1987), Dr Bhowmik has pursued the sitar alongside his medical career. He began learning the instrument in 1990 under the late Ashis Sengupta and later trained with others, including Padma Shri Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan of the Imdadkhani Gharana. He has performed at classical and semi-classical platforms across the country.
Siddhartha Chatterjee, of the Farrukhabad Gharana, has performed widely in India and abroad. A disciple of Pandit Kanailal Bhattacharya and Taalrang Biplab Bhattacharya, he has accompanied artistes including Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ustad Shahid Parvez. He is a graded artist of All India Radio.
