New York NRIs’ 12th Eye Camp in Amritsar: Free Eye Exam & Eyeglasses for the Poor

Nov 4 :
Haridas and Sharda Kotahwala of New York sponsored the 12th Eye Camp organized by Varinder Bhalla in Amritsar, to provide the gift of vision with free eye exams and eyeglasses to visually impaired individuals who could not afford them, including elderly individuals struggling with their daily chores and children unable to see the blackboards clearly in classrooms, impacting their studies.

Varinder Bhalla, the former commissioner of Nassau County, New York, a native of Amritsar, launched the first eye camp in January 2023 to honor the legacy of his late father, a staunch supporter of the visually impaired children at a local institute for the Blind. The inaugural camp was attended by notable figures of Punjab, including Gurjeet Singh Aujla, a Member of India’s Parliament; Om Parkash Soni, former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab; and Sandeep Rishi, the then-Commissioner of Amritsar.

To ensure that the program benefits only the genuinely needy, a thorough screening process is conducted to identify the financially underprivileged. Selected individuals undergo computerized and manual eye exams by optometrists, who prescribe corrective lenses for conditions such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. Patients also have the opportunity to select the frames of their choice. Finally, eyeglasses are distributed to the recipients at the eye camp.

Since its inception, 12 camps have been organized in Amritsar, with nearly 1,200 individuals benefiting from the program. Eye camps are organized monthly, except during extreme weather conditions that make it logistically challenging and prohibitive. Satish Devgan, a local community leader in Amritsar commended the Bhallas, “who are sitting thousands of miles away in New York but think of the less fortunate in their native Punjab.” The noble act of the Kotahwalas is even more inspiring, says Devgan, “because they are from Rajasthan and settled in New York for the past six decades but helping the needy in Amritsar.”

The Kotahwalas, known for their philanthropic contributions in both New York and India, have received numerous awards and accolades for their charitable endeavors. Bhallas of Long Island also run AWB Food Bank in Delhi, which collects surplus food from hotels, airlines, and industry kitchens and distributes it to the disadvantaged and the destitute. Named after Bhalla’s late mother Agya Wanti Bhalla, AWB Food Bank has distributed over 15 million meals to the poor since its inception in 1991.