Amitabh Bachchan, Ratan Tata promote TB-free India

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and renowned business tycoon Ratan Tata on Thursday lent support to the government's "Call to Action for a TB-Free India".

Both were present at an event to launch "Mumbai Dialogue: Towards a TB-Free India" which attempts to bring in the strong support of corporate companies for the cause.

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma was the one of the main voices behind the initiative and in getting Amitabh support the cause.

"I had already worked on tuberculosis in the city of Mumbai for the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We have started the campaign and several films have been made and the propaganda is on. So when Mr. Verma talked about this initiative, I felt morally, socially, individually attached to it," he said.

"I think during the time that we launched the campaign, I spoke to the media and told them that I myself was a sufferer of tuberculosis in the year 2000. It was detected quite by accident. But the fact is that I did undergo a certain course of action. It took about a year with heavy dosage of tablets and medication but the fact is that I stand before you cured of tuberculosis. If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone."

About the action taken through this initiative, Amitabh said: "There is a cure for it and we've just had a wonderful meeting with several medical heads of the country and corporate heads where we've discussed many of these issues."

Tata said: "To me, it is more than just a campaign. It's an issue being involved in a national cause. TB has been a silent killer in the country and has assumed proportions that most of us should be extremely concerned about. As a citizen of the country I feel very committed to play my role, however big or small it might be to help in this partnership with the government."