More burden on me now

Kakinada: "Padma Shri award puts greater responsibility on me. My aim is to bring light into the eyes of the blind," says Dr Sankurathri Chandrasekhar.

Sharing his pleasure and joy on being awarded Padma Shri with The Hans India, he thanked the Union government for recognising his hard work and said he was dedicating this award to those who helped and contributed in his three-decade-long journey of social work which had seen many ups and downs. It was certainly a roller coaster journey.

He said the Sankurathri Foundation (SF) was established in 1989 in memory of his wife Manjari, son Kiran and daughter Sarada, who died on June 23, 1985 when the Boeing 747-237B disintegrated in mid-air en route from Montreal to London, at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 m) over the Atlantic Ocean, as a result of an explosion from a bomb planted by Canadian Sikh terrorists.

Dr Chandrasekhar said he was grateful to the people who reposed faith in him. Of the total 3.7 lakh surgeries that were performed in his Sri Kiran Ophthalmological Institute 90 per cent were free surgeries. His foundation had also set up an educational institute called Sarada Educational Institute. The total number of patients examined in his hospital were 37 lakhs so far.

He expressed hope that many more will emulate the services being rendered by his foundation. "The award made me realise the need for putting in greater efforts to help the society," he said.