The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : More legal aid clinics to come up in districts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

More legal aid clinics to come up in districts

Special Correspondent

In areas where there is high prevalence of HIV positive cases

CHENNAI: In a joint initiative, the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) and the State Legal Services Authority have decided to open more “Legal aid clinics” in districts with a high prevalence of HIV positive cases, Project Director of TANSACS Supriya Sahu said here on Friday.

Releasing a two-volume book on HIV/AIDS and the Law brought out by the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Ms. Sahu said the first such clinic had already been opened in the Namakkal Government Hospital.

A recently published National Family Health Survey (NFHS) had put Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the forefront for spreading awareness among the people.

Ms. Sahu said a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative was currently on to sensitise lawyers on the issues concerning HIV positive persons.

She said that prejudice and attitudinal problem and discrimination against the HIV positive people were still prevalent in some pockets which required to be addressed by all sections of society. “There has to be a concerted effort in this regard,” she said adding that a Bill would soon be promulgated in Parliament to help prevent discrimination against HIV positive people.

Comprehensive handbook

Laya Medhini, advisor of HRLN, New Delhi, said the two-volume book on “HIV/AIDS and the Law” was a comprehensive handbook for lawyers and activists.

It contained chapters on issues such as gender vulnerability, employment discrimination, commercial sex workers and medical discrimination and access to treatment

Each chapter contained explanatory text and case summaries on the topic, which can be used by lawyers and activists. S. Kannaiyan, HRLN Coordinator based in Chennai, said the organisation collaborated with social movements, human rights organisations and grass-root level development groups to enforce the rights especially of those HIV positive affected people and people with disabilities.

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