CHENNAI: The state unit of the CPM has passed a resolution to conduct a statewide body donation campaign on September 12 to mark the first death anniversary of its former general secretary, Sitaram Yechury.
The state committee resolved at its two-day meeting here to this effect. The resolution recalled that Yechury, who devoted his life to Marxist ideals and the defence of democratic values, had willed his body to AIIMS, New Delhi, for medical research. It noted that senior leaders, including former West Bengal Chief Ministers Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, had also pledged their bodies for scientific study.
The party said body donation was an extension of service to society even after death, as it aids medical students in learning anatomy and enables researchers to study the impact of diseases on human organs and tissues, thereby contributing to new treatment methods.
While awareness exists on blood and eye donation, the resolution stressed that body donation remains a vital social contribution. It appealed to the cadre and supporters to register their consent, with family approval, to donate their bodies for medical research.
The state committee urged party members and the public to participate in district-level body donation camps to be organised across the state, and to set an example in advancing the cause of human welfare.
The state committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of state committee member S Muthukannan, which was attended by polit bureau members K Balakrishnan and U Vasuki, state secretary P Shanmugam, and several other members.