Ankita''s eye campaign gets B-Town support

Sixteen years after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan pledged her eyes, beauty queen Pantaloons Femina Miss India — International 2011 Ankita Shorey has done the same. But Ankita is now taking it to the next level. She has initiated a campaign, supported by Provogue, to encourage the general public to pledge their eyes .

For this, she has urged Bollywood stars to come forward and be part of her campaign. Celebs like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Karan Johar have applauded her efforts.

"Actors are loved by the masses and when they do something, others follow," says Ankita. "We are not going to take our eyes to heaven with us. They will be burnt to ashes on earth, so I'd rather pledge to change someone's life after I breathe my last."

For this initiative, Ankita has associated with the Happy Home And School for the Blind at Worli. She recently met principal Mehr Banaji, who has received the President's Award and the Padma Shri for her efforts in this field. "When I went there, I saw that there's so much the school is doing... they teach kids weaving, carpentry, music and other crafts. And there's a lot of enthusiasm to learn."

Nikhil Chaturvedi, Managing Director of Provogue (India) Limited, is glad to be part of the initiative. He says, "I really respect Ankita for taking this step. I am sure her decision will give a ray of hope to someone who has been living in darkness. I believe it is like a legacy you leave behind and truly hope this step encourages many to follow her path. With almost 40 per cent of the world's blind population living in India and 75 per cent of which is avoidable blindness, such initiatives raise awareness about the cause, including prevention, which will help in reducing the number of people with acute blindness."

Ankita is hopeful that more people will come forward to pledge their eyes. "My friends have followed me. It feels nice to make a small difference in this big world."

Celeb Speak

Ajay Devgn: Giving someone vision is a great act. Ankita and others like her are to be applauded. When celebrities endorse a cause, it is easier to get others to sit up and take notice.

Akshay Kumar: I support all the beautiful people who are willing to give vision to the visually challenged.

Karan Johar : It's a very noble cause and something I would like to do myself. For people who pledge their eyes I always think of it as a great gesture. More power to Ankita!