Jyoti Basu's gift reflects his passion

Kolkata: They have seen the beginning and the Second World War, they have witnessed the horrors of Partition, and the winning of India's Independence - Jyoti Basu's eyes, which saw 95 years of history unfold, have now brought light to the lives of two people who have never seen before.

"Shri Jyoti Basu's eyes were in very good condition. We used to look after his eyes when he was alive. He never had any degenerative problems, no cataracts or anything," says Dr Ratish Paul of Shushrut Eye Foundation.

For lakhs of his acolytes, Jyoti Basu's gesture of donating his eyes was really no surprise. They believe he did so as second nature - one that wanted to serve.

"He spent his whole life in the service of humanity. And he worked for humanity till the very end. If others can see through his eyes, it will be a learning lesson for us," says Aparna Roy.

"A blind person who will be getting the eyes will see the world in different way. That's a great thing," says Gautam Dutta.

The recipients of Basu's eyes will never know whose eyes they have received. And as per the guidelines for eye donation, we will never who they are. But maybe one line of poetry will strike a chord should they ever read it - "My eyes are an ocean in which my dreams are reflected". Jyoti Basu dreamt big.