An open letter to Hon. Minister Dr. C.P.Thakur

[Guest guest]

Dear Hon. Minister Dr. C.P.Thakur,

For a change, we have a ``professionally qualified'' person as a Minister which is most unusual in our polity. Hence, we expect enlightened responses as far as health issues are concerned. Sir, you surprise us sometimes when your policies contradict themselves. On the one hand, the NACO draft policy on HIV/AIDS is definitively against mandatory HIV testing; on the other hand, you have declared that all foreigners entering India will be tested. This reveals a wide gap between what is advocated in principle and what is being preached in practice. Are you not expecting a boomerang effect of other countries practising the same on us Indians who travel abroad? Should we not be focusing all our energies on using our limited resources on curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS among our own people rather than concentrating on a comparatively smaller group of tourists entering our country. What if these persons develop infection after visiting our country? Will you be able to identify them and then desire to throw them out?

Do you think with such archaic practices, we will be even considered for a share in the Global Health Fund?

In the process of globalisation, cross-border mobility is increasing through different access and exit routes. How will you map those and control the movements of so-called infected persons? Are you planning testing centres along our borders?

It is possible that you have made these statements under provocation. We look forward to your withdrawing these plans and instead, concentrating on adopting a rational comprehensive multi-sectoral secular policy on HIV/AIDS in letter and spirit.

Vimla Nadkarni

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