Normally, given a theme, I have been able to develop a story around it. However, this time, although, I have wanted to write a story revolving around blood from a long time, I found it really difficult to come up with one. For the very reason is; most of our stories have villains and I was just not able to figure out, who will play villain in my story?
Is it going to be the blood banks? To a certain extent, may be Yes. For these are the very people who are responsible to do everything possible to increase voluntary donation - Is it not? But well they too have their internal issues and the very fact that at the end it is just a Bank - If people don't deposit "Cash" from where will they get money? So the very fact that, although blood banks are responsible, but at the end, it is the peoples responsibility to come forward freely and donate blood, do not make blood banks solely responsible, and thus they could not be holden as "Gabbars" of our story!
So, that leaves us with "People"- And that is "us"! How discomforting, isn't it? Making the very audience, "the people", "the show players" - The villains? But that is what is true, isn't it?
However, looking a bit more deeper, we find, Its evident, that it is either fear associated with blood donation in any form or misconceptions/wrong education, Parental pressure - which again is the fears or misconceptions of parents imposed on their sons and daughters, who as per law are adults, eligible to marry and vote for a government but not in a position to take decision on this matter!
So, it appears, this barrier of fear and wrong/zero education MUST be broken, if something has to change at a fundamental level. And how can this happen?
By reaching out to people via any or all communication mediums and pointing these very facts to the adult generation of our country, asking them questions for their baseless fears, making them uncomfortable, so that they can come out of their comfort zones and think, why they are so afraid and why are they spreading their fears to future generations!
And Also, to uproot these problem from the very base, it should be tackled when the kids are very young.
Making this education a part of their education system from a early stage - Not just as some chapter in a book, which they would need to cram and which will hold some marks to pass - But by showing them the real problem, by showing the real life cases at blood banks.
Until they would have seen this curse in real life and have understood how deep and burning this problem is, the way they see the danger of a Cobra, they would hardly do anything to do what is necessary. Until that time, this Snake will raise its head, sooner or later!