The Indian community in Australia has planned a nationwide blood donation drive in memory of Manmeet Alisher on the first anniversary since his death.
On 28th October, the Australian Red Cross will accept blood donations across ten cities in Australia in memory of Manmeet, the bus driver who was burnt to death in Brisbane in October 2016.
The blood donation drive has been organized in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, Darwin, Griffith, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns and Canberra.
Six members of the community in Sydney, Amar Singh, Dave Sidhu, Harinder Kaur, Rahul Duggal, Guru Dha and Gurnam Singh came together to plan ‘something special in memory of Manmeet’, a few months ago.
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“We have been planning this for couple of months,” Amar Singh told SBS Hindi.
“We saw an outpouring of love for Manmeet across Australia when people came out in huge numbers at the candle light vigils organized in his memory. We want people to come together and remember him,” Singh said.
Sidhu who organized a showbiz event with Alisher fondly remembers his time with him and says, “Manmeet’s contribution to people around him was immense. He was a grateful human being and always gave more than expected to everyone. I have got so much from him. His attitude was always that of giving. We want to remember him on his first death anniversary, by giving back something to the society, where not just Indians but all Australians can participate.”
Besides the nationwide blood donation drive, a special prayer meet has been organized at the Glenwood Sikh Temple on 29th October, Sunday and a big gathering is scheduled at Manmeet Paradise Park in Brisbane on 28th October, Saturday.
Source: Supplied
Source: Supplied
Manmeet’s brother Amit Alisher is expected to attend the Gurudwara prayer meet in Sydney on Sunday.
29-year-old Alisher was a beloved member of the Indian community, known for his singing and poetry recitation performances. He also was a showbiz organiser and worked as a casual bus driver in Brisbane.
He died after Anthony O’Donohue allegedly threw an "incendiary device" on him while he sat behind the bus wheel at a Moorooka bus stop in Brisbane on 28th October, 2016.
