Sunil Chadha
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will kick off a 15-day service campaign, ‘Seva Pakhwada’, from September 17, coinciding with the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to the media, state BJP president Rajeev Bindal said the party would organise 17 blood donation camps across 17 locations in the state on September 17, which also falls on Vishwakarma Jayanti. The initiative is part of a broader nationwide campaign being billed as a celebration of selfless service.
“From September 17 to 25, BJP workers and community members will participate in various service-driven programmes, including blood donation camps, health check-up camps, cleanliness drives and the compilation of a donor registry,” Bindal said.
The campaign will intensify on September 25, the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, with massive cleanliness and plantation drives planned at over 8,000 polling booths across Himachal Pradesh.
Promoting local, honouring legacies
In the final phase of the campaign from September 25 to October 2, which includes Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, the focus will shift to promoting indigenous products. Special events will showcase items made by local artisans, including potters, weavers and craftsmen, in a bid to encourage the ‘Swadeshi’ movement and support rural livelihoods.
“The idea is to blend service with nationalism — to give back to society while honouring our cultural and political icons,” Bindal added.
Global blood donation campaign
The campaign in Himachal is part of a larger global movement, with the Akhil Bhartiya Terapanth Yuvak Parishad (ABTYP) spearheading what is being described as the world’s largest blood donation drive.
Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the mega campaign virtually. Blood donation camps will be organised at over 7,500 locations in 75 countries, including Australia, UAE, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the UK. The flagship event will take place at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.
According to ABTYP officials, the drive is expected to collect over three lakh units of blood in a single day, engaging more than 75,000 youth volunteers, 4,000 blood banks, 5,000 doctors, 25,000 lab technicians, and over 1 lakh general volunteers.
The initiative is being supported by four key Union ministries — Health, Railways, Youth Affairs and Sports, and Education — and is also expected to strengthen the e-Raktkosh portal, which tracks blood stock availability across the country.
Breaking myths, saving lives
ABTYP general secretary Amit Nahata emphasised the campaign’s focus on changing public perception around blood donation. “Many still fear that donating blood is harmful. In reality, the human body replenishes blood quickly. Through this campaign, we aim to erase those misconceptions.”
The 2025 edition marks the 13th year of the Seva Diwas campaign and organisers hope to set a new world record in voluntary blood donation.
With the twin themes of “nation-building through service” and “humanity through action”, this year’s Seva Pakhwada is not only a tribute to the Prime Minister but also a call to collective civic responsibility — one blood drop, one sapling, and one act of kindness at a time.
