Global AIDS - India

Stigma & Discrimination - Good Samaritans
The Bad News & The Good News – Aug/Sept 2004

The following item was posted onto the AIDS-INDIA e forum Sept 22, 2004
Subject: Re: Who will help an Australian agency to help? Re: Indian tribal village boycotts

Dear Mr. Brian Haill & Forum Members

The Deccan Herald on Thursday 26 August, 2004 featured two women who were victims of a social boycott by a community engulfed with the fear of HIV/AIDS .

The two women - Bhanot Samakka and Bukhya Vimala- are residents of a tribal hamlet in Warangal -a district in Andhra Pradesh.

These two women extended their helping hand to Bukhya Sharada who confided to them her positive status.

The panchayat (hamlet council) decreed that the two women should not enter the village. Representations made on behalf of the women by a few community groups did not deter the decision of the panchayat.

This piece of information featured in a circulation by AIDS India. In response to which Mr. Brian Haill from The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated, Melbourne, Australia requested a follow-up on the part of any organisation willing to look into this matter.

Dr. Ashok Rau, Executive Trustee/CEO of the Freedom Foundation-India promptly replied to the request and directed the Foundation's Hyderabad unit to address this issue. The Freedom Foundation's Hyderabad unit immediately got in touch with the principal correspondent of Deccan Herald for further information on the concerned issues.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was appraised of this whole issue. NHRC immediately contacted the Collector and the local Police station to revoke the injustice met to the three women.

Follow up orders were given to ensure that the positive woman was cared for and the other two be reintegrated into the community and subsequently reinstated into their respective jobs. However, the positive woman who had delivered the baby was not traceable.

Of the other two, Sammakka the cook with the school had been re -instated, while Vimala a health worker at the, Anganwadi centres in the hamlet was not re- employed. Nevertheless both these women have been permitted to stay in the village. The Freedom Foundation will now be providing on going support to all, and will address the needs of care and support for the affected individuals including the baby.

The Freedom Foundation's units in Andhra Pradesh will be doing a series of sensitization programmes for the various law enforcement agencies and the community at the villages of Warangal District. The Freedom Foundation & NHRC will continue to oversee this case on a regular basis.

The Freedom Foundation and all concerned would like to thank Mr. Brian Haill for raising his concerns and for offering his support. We will be in touch with Mr. Haill.

Regards
Dr. Troy Cunningham
Freedom Foundation - Hyderabad

Freedom-Foundation-India http://www.ashoka.org/fellows/viewprofile3.cfm?reid=97605

The Australian AIDS Fund Inc then lodged the following AIDS-INDIA posting:

Dear Forum members,

As an Australian non government AIDS agency concerned about the dreadful damage that can be inflicted on individuals and communities as a result of stigma and discimination against men, women and children struggling to live with HIV/AIDS, we would like to publicly record in this international e forum our deep appreciation for the swift response of the Freedom-Foundation- India organisation to our very recent appeal to assist the women boycotted by their tribal hamlet in the Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh as a result of them going to the childbirth assistance of an HIV positive woman turned out of her own village.

The response of Freedom-Foundation-India, and especially its units in in Andhra Pradesh, was immediate, thorough and and most gratifying and its undertaking to continue to both oversee the ongoing situation in addition to providing a series of sensitization programmes is to be very much applauded. It's a superb example of shared concern and response.

At a time when there's so much hurt and distress and damage caused by such stigma and discrimination, examples of responses like this need to be widely publicised so that attitudes can and must be changed anywhere and everywhere in the world.

When we posted our appeal, a number of other agencies in India also expressed their concern to us and we also thank them for their moral support. We were greatly encouraged.

We hope to further develop our links with the Freedom-Foundation-India in this vital work.

With best wishes.

Brian Haill,
The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated,
Melbourne, Australia.