RSS and VHP to prevent HIV/AIDS awareness programs in Kerala

[Guest guest]

From: " Sapna Pandya " <spandya@...> pandya@...

HINDU RIGHT WINGERS TO PREVENT AIDS AWARENESS

PROGRAMMES .

Hindu extremist groups RSS,VHP and their clones have

threatened that they would not allow the AIDS awareness

programmes at Pamba near the Sabarimala pilgrimage

center in Kerala.This is the second year in which the

threat of disruption against AIDS awareness project has

taken place.

The AIDS cell set up by the Kerala State Gov't has identified

the Pamba area,several kilometers away from the temple

as an area conducive for mass communication programme.

The area is crowded by lakhs of visitors every year during

the pilgrimage season.A good percentage of people in

the area are non-devotees and include drivers of thousands

of vehicles coming from neighbouring high-risk states,

traders,labourers and others.

It has been found that people from the high risk groups

from the other states are coming to the area and it is

the best opportunity to educate them about the dangers

of AIDS.There are also plans to distribute condoms

absolutely free to anyone who wants them.The project

is a simple mass communication ,social service and

humanitarian plan which aims to save lives and money

by creating awareness of the disease.

However the Hindutva right wing extremist groups have

begun to raise loud noises that they will prevent this

'anti-Hindu project' run by 'vested interests'.They allege

that the state AIDS cell wants to create 'impure thoughts'

in the minds of the devotees and thereby creating

sacrilege.They are quick to ask whether such projects

will be implemented in Christian pilgrimage centers.

The Hindutva forces may be able to ignite communal

passions and widen their constituency.But what they do

not realise is that they are preventing a humanitarian

and life saving project.The question is whether tomorrow

these Hindutva forces will require that anti-AIDS billboards

are torn down or that the newspapers or the TV should not

display advertisements about AIDS in areas specified

by them.In fact ,in the present case is that the forces

of Hindutva have already declared an entire area as

prohibited for AIDS awareness programme.It must be

remembered that all this is being done in the name of

god who protects lives and seeks to end suffering and

pain.

The argument whether such awareness programmes

will be conducted in pilgrimage/worship centers of

other faiths is aimed to confuse.In the present case,

the area has been identified because of the very large

number of people gathering at one place.It must be

said that similar projects must be implemented

wherever such huge gathering of people take place.

Religious taboo should not come in the way of saving

the precious lives of Indian citizens.

What is being suppressed is the fact that the other

communities are also implementing such programmes

internally.For instance the Catholics and many other

Christian denominations in Kerala have been confirmed to

hold pre-marital counselling which is mandatory (and

directive in some cases) for marriage.This includes

family planning, importance of faithfulness in

marriage (avoidance of promiscuity) and dangers of

diseases such as AIDS .The Christian youths are

instructed in their camps by professional counsellors

about such diseases and the preventive methods.

It would be welcome for other faiths as well to

evolve such internal awareness programmes.

Our nation has been the victim of retrograde ideologies.

The wicked religionist -communalist-politician does not

mind if people perish because of contagious diseases.

He would go to any extent to scuttle any good programme

in the name of religion,myth or superstition.The society

must ask such fundamentalist pests to shut up for

they will not wipe the tears off the eye of an AIDS victim.

On the other hand,they will be the first to stone or

excommunicate him/her.To advance such outrightly stupid

arguments as that the condoms will corrupt the minds

of the people is repugnant .They are the equals of Taliban.

India does not require religious police as has Saudi Arabia

or as had Afghanistan.That the Hindu Taliban has no concern or

value for human life is obvious.Our nation must be

saved from the hands of such religious fundamentalists.

Cross posted from sapha: All messages are archived at

sapha

SAPHA Website: http://www.sapha.net

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