Kerala: Babita Awaits Court Order to go to School

[Guest guest]

Maleeha Raghaviah writes in the Hindu dated October 18,2003:

Babita Awaits Court Order to go to School

Kozhikode, Octo.17

" Caught in the tussle between her guardians and the school authorities,

six-year old Babita Raj of Parappanangadi has no other option to wait

patiently to attend school.

Her fault--She is the daughter of Arun Raj of Feroke who died of AIDS two

years back.

Though Babita was admitted to an aided upper primary school near her house

at parappanangadi, following protests from the parent-teacher Association

(PTA), as well as the school authorities, she was barred from attending

class. This despite Babita testing negative for HIV, and the Government

advocating that even children who tested positive should be allowed to

attend regular schools.

Social workers took up her cause, and the District Collector, educational

authorities and the tahsildar intervened. Though a medical certificate was

submitted, majority of PTA members opposed her attending the school. She

was denied admission to the Government school too.

Babita has now been offered admission at the Government LP School at

Kalpetta, Wayanad thanks to the initiative taken by the Head Teacher Mohammed.

[About 150 KM away from her home! Moderator]

Efforts are also on to provide accommodation for the child at the Scheduled

Caste hostel near the school.

But her relatives, who have approached the High Court with a petition that

she be allowed to attend the private school at parappanangadi, would prefer

to wait for the court verdict rather than let the little girl go ahead with

her schooling "

________________________

Similar incidents of stigma and discrimination may occur in the future

also. The fact that it is not too late nor to be ashamed to look at what

went wrong in the AIDS prevention programme in Kerala.I am not to blatantly

criticize the AIDS Control Society or the NGOs working in that area. It is

a common issue and nobody can escape being a part of the state. A proper

evaluation is every one's right and at the same time a social responsibility.

It is a shame that we need the president, judges, the health minister, the

chief minister, and all the official machineries to teach the educated

people that you should be human beings. It is time for every one to be

adults and gentle men/women in all respects

Love

subhash

E-mail: <swfk@...>