Art and glamour bring cheer to cancer patients

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) The two worlds of art and glamour have come out in support of the fight against cancer and to spread cheer among patients in the capital.

While an NGO took many cancer patients to an upscale mall, sponsored a movie screening and had socialites interact with them, an India-Britain collaboration held a mega art show, the proceed of which will go towards the fight against the disease.

The Cancer Patients' Aid Association (CPAA) took patients out on a tour of the Select Citywalk mall in Saket, screened Shyam Benegal's latest comedy 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' and followed with a party on National Cancer Rose Day Monday.

The patients were joined by celebrities and socialites like Sushma Seth, Seema Jajodia, Amanpreet Wahi and Geetika Ganju, who listened to their problems in one-on-one interactions.

After the screening, CCPA director Kiran Hukku said the association has been trying to spread happiness in the lives of people afflicted by cancer.

'CPAA believes in the philosophy of total management of cancer patients, and has been celebrating the special event for the past 15 years,' Hukku said.

A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) predicts a 26.6 percent rise in the number of people afflicted by cancer in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Bhopal by the end of 2008. Delhi is likely to report the highest number of cases.

India and Britain also came together to battle the disease this week through a mega art show. Kathak exponent Shovana Narayan inaugurated an exhibition of 'British Art in India with Friends' at Studio Vasant in association with MKC Roko Cancer Charitable Trust and XrossPolynation Trust.

The show features works by Graham Clarke (an ambassador of Kent), Nick Tidnam, Brian Lewiss, Tikki Gullands, Mike Hutchings, Cas Holmes and James Hornton - all British artists. The Indian artists include Victor Vijay Kumar, Alka Raguvanshi, Manoj Mantra, Sangetha K. Murthy, Baljit Chadha, Indu Tripathy, P.K. Roy, Ravi Gill and Sanjib Saha.

The proceeds from the sales will be shared by the MKC ROKO Cancer Charitable Trust and the artists.

The trust launched in London tries to promote breast cancer awareness among women and provides early detection, leading to treatment wherever possible.

The trust is working with Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime Minister Tony Blair, Baroness Amos, Lord Karan Billimoria, Keith Vaz, Geoff Hoon, Sandra Howard, Sarah Kennedy and many other prominent personalities in Britain to spread awareness about the disease among ethnic minorities.

It has launched India's first fully equipped mobile breast cancer detection unit for women living in semi-urban and rural areas and also provides free mammography and ultrasound to women in detection camps. The results are provided on the spot.

The slogan of the trust is 'Roko Cancer - It could happen to you'. It also operates a mobile cancer detection bus that journeys through Punjab, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and has helped hundreds of patients.