Our Father of Nation - Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic glasses and his priority for eye care - Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi IAS, former Governor of West Bengal, speaking at the event organised by Sankara Nethralaya

 

Our Father of Nation - Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic glasses and his priority for eyecare

Delivering the first Dr. S.S. Badrinath Endowment Oration, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, delved into the history of Gandhiji’s iconic glasses, the talk interspersed with anecdotes delivered with his characteristic tinge of humour

Delivering the first Dr. S.S. Badrinath Endowment Oration on ‘Gandhi’s Glasses’, instituted in memory of the late founder of Sankara Nethralaya, Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi spoke about the Mahatma’s specs, his priority for eye care, and the vision it represents. The evening provided a glimpse into the past and the glorious history behind Gandhiji’s iconic glasses. Interspersed with anecdotes delivered with Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s characteristic tinge of humour, the presentation, ably aided by photographs and cartoons, reflected on the legacy of Gandhiji.

Noting that the visionary was unspectacled much beyond the usual age for wearing glasses, Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi said some of the cartoons in 1920 and 1921, including those featured in The Illustrated London News, showed the Mahatma as bespectacled. Referring to one of the earliest textual references to Gandhiji’s spectacles, he said renowned freedom fighter V.S. Srinivasa Sastri, who had visited him at a hospital in Pune during January 1924, recorded how Gandhiji wore glasses to read a document to give written consent for an operation.

Gandhiji was 57 years old in 1925 and used glasses for reading and spinning. His attitude towards science kept evolving. He wanted to educate himself and others on the right use, overuse, and abuse of inventions. Spectacles fit into his evolving sense of healthcare, as part of compassionate living.

Citing Gandhiji’s letters in 1931 and 1933 and various other anecdotes, Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi said the Mahatma had also suggested remedies for eyecare and enquired on eye exercises for defective vision. His letters also reflected his sense of humour and ability to laugh at himself.

Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi also underlined the Mahatma’s concern for the eyecare of others, such as his wife Kasturba Gandhi and granddaughter. A pair of his bifocal spectacles was presented to the National Gandhi Museum, Rajghat. The audience also got a glimpse of a copy of the last prescription of Gandhiji’s eye test in January 1947.

Earlier, Dr. T.S. Surendran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, said the Dr. S.S. Badrinath Endowment Oration would be an annual event to commemorate the veteran ophthalmologist.