Young people in India: Dying to live, living to die

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Penniless youth succumbs to AIDS, abandoned and ostracised

Dying to live, living to die

The Telegraph 1st March, 2002-New Delhi

Subhankar (name changed on request) was a bright student who left home for Surat

to earn a living and help his family in Howrah at age 16. He was 20 when he

returned home, late last year, with AIDS. He died late last week, abandoned by

his parents, who could not afford the treatment, and ostracised by family and

friends for his " infectious " affliction.

The inadequacy of AIDS awareness campaigns by government agencies and NGOs came

into sharp focus yet again as Subhankar succumbed to the scourge and its stigma.

For the three months that the AIDS victim stayed at home, his parents refused to

send him to the School of Tropical Medicine (STM), as advised by a local doctor.

And for the rest, he was an " untouchable " , because of his " highly-infectious

disease " .

Now, Subhankar's parents are a picture of remorse. " He was a meritorious student

but could not appear for his Madhyamik exams as he dicided to help us out by

earning for the family, " recounted his father on Thursday. " He got to know about

the opportunities in the diamond-cutting trade in Surat and went of four years

ago. He came back a few months ago, with AIDS. "

Subhankar's father, who is partially paralysed, has been out of a job for a few

years, ever since the paint factory he worked in downed shutters. " My son fell

ill in Surat and doctors there advised him to undergo various tests. He was soon

detected with AIDS. He refused to come back here, as he was afraid of facing the

family. "

He finally came back home when the end was near. A local doctor advised the

family to shift him to the School of Tropical Medicine, but Subhankar's parents

asked him to bear the expenses of his own treatment, as they were in no position

to foot the medical bill. The young man chose to stay put at home, instead,

waiting for death.

" For the past few days, he was telling us that he could no longer bear the

excruciating pain. 'The sooner I die, the better it will be for everyone', he

would say. When he came back from Surat with AIDS, we were furious with him for

destroying our lives, our reputations.Now, we regret that he died without any

treatment. It's all over, " said the father, tears welling up, as Subhankar's

mother wept inconsolably.

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Dr.Jagdish Harsh ( jharsh@... )

Director of Administration and Operations

François-Xavier Bagnoud (INDIA) ( www.fxb.org )

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