The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Woes of the HIV-hit in Ganjam district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Other States

Other States - Orissa

Woes of the HIV-hit in Ganjam district

Staff Reporter

PLWHA have been included in the list of physically challenged
It was found that several PLWHA provided
wrong addresses

BERHAMPUR: People still cannot dare to be identified as HIV positive in Ganjam district, the most HIV prone area of the State.

They at times prefer to forego financial help from the State government rather than getting identified as man infected by the deadly virus.

The plight of U.Raut a bold HIV positive person of Ganjam district,t who has preferred to stand up and work for AIDS awareness, speaks of the severe social stigma that People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) face in the district.

Ganjam’s most PLWHA live in extreme rural pockets, who were earlier migrant labourers. Raut (34) and his wife of Manideipentha village of Chhanameri panchayat are HIV positive. But their two daughters are free from the deadly virus. Since last five years Raut is working for AIDS awareness for ARUNA an organisation involved in the rehabilitation of PLWHA in Ganjam district.

His openness about his PLWHA has brought in new hopes in the minds of other PLWHA for whom he works. But his truthfulness has brought grave problems in his own life. After death of his parents a year back he was thrown out of parental house by his brother.

Villagers supported this action and also helped his brother take over all parental property with allegation that as an AIDS patient he had lost all his claims.

He approached several revenue officials including the Collector without any avail.

He alleges his brother and relatives used brute force of police to throttle his claims on parental property. According to him in February this year he was drastically humiliated at the Patapur police station. Policemen joked at his PLWHA status, spat on him, treated him like a leper and also beat him up till he vomited blood.

He was threatened to stop asking for property rights. None in the village supported him. He said situations like this are compelling the PLWHA live a cocooned life in a hidden manner which is quite dangerous for themselves and the society. Loknath Panda of the ARUNA added that social stigma was also preventing many PLWHA to accept the monthly pension provided to them by the State Government under the Madhubabu Pension Yojana.

This scheme was meant for the physically challenged. But in Orissa PLWHA have been included in the list of physically challenged.

Under it the beneficiaries get a monthly allowance of Rs. 200 from the government. It was found that several PLWHA had provided wrong addresses while they were being registered to avoid identification. As per a report around 40 per cent of the PLWHA registered in Ganjam district were not getting the allowance due to wrong address provided by them. Mr. Mishra said these PLWHA did not dare to be identified by accepting the cheques which would have reached them by post.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States