Stigma and discrimination in Manipur

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Khomanihar and Birendrajit Singh have tried attempting to project what the

situation of Stigma and Discrimination is in Manipur. But why only Manipur? And

why are we keeping ourselves limited to only a handful of names? I have

mentioned previously that there are a lot of issues which we need to explore,

understand and then comment upon.

Since we are using a national forum to ventilate our concerns and opinions it is

sometimes rudimentary why we should be only from the users community or we

should be from the particular state or region or why should we be from any

affiliation at all as long as we are really concerned about the problem. Two

things that I intend to state with conviction are;

(1) a number of individuals and organisations (who are not users groups) have

done immense work to facilitate the formation and strengthening of users groups

and

(2) a number of organisations have capitalised on the users to gain multifarious

mileage on this issue by providing only lip services to them.

Go to any part of the country or the world - this is the situation. And I donot

have to belong to a users group to make these stark observation. Now 2 things

need to be kept in mind while we are addressing this issue of stigma and

discrimination.

First , a lot of users (or some even claim, ex users!!) are members of various

advisory bodies/ governing bodies of various organisations and I know a number

of them, who at the behest of these service providing organisations have been

provided with various junkets. They have been pampered (though I would have

liked to avoid this word, I do not find any better word) so that they can sing

peans of these service providers.

We have been witness to such pampering and spoon feeding by various oganisations

in Manipur and it is time that users organisations and organisations of PLWHA

see through this. Not that I call for a confrontation between these two groups

, what I call for is mutual respect and partnership of/ between these two groups

- a need to be each others watch dogs rather than " you scratch my back , I

will scratch yours " .

Two, since a number of users groups and service providers are operating in the

same state / region is there no communication between them? Various names have

been taken in the Manipur context but this cannot go on for long if we are to

find any way out of this present mess (which has been building up for the last

decade - as I had mentioned in my previous communication).

These organisations are situated very close by and they need to meet and talk to

trash out their problems amicably. It is indeed surprising that the agency/

agencies against whom so much has been spoken has decided to keep mumb on this

issue.

But I am sure neither NGOs or users organisation/ organisations of PLWHA can do

without the other. This is a reality and no matter how much we scream hoarse,

the reality is not going to change. We need a symbiosis to tackle this problem

not an attitude of confrontation !!

To end I donot hesitate in admitting that there is ideological conflict between

the Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholic Anonymous groups in Manipur - one trying

to prevail upon the other when the basic problem is almost similar and the

groups are indeed users groups !

Yours sincerely,

Alban Marak

E-mail: roving_eyes@...

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

I am feeling good that friends from/ of Manipur are now speaking about what we

should be doing to ensure that vested interests do not have a field time. I have

been mentioning about the need to network and the need to thrash out ssues which

confront not the service providers (no matter what might be the composition)

but the problem of drug use and HIV/ AIDS per se. Why me, every one is surprised

why the accused organisation is keeping mumb on this issue.

I have personally tried contacting the concerned person by telephone and e.mail

but I am yet to get any response. This is the problem here. If I could , I

would have personally visited the organisation to request it to come out with

facts . However I donot know if anyone operating from Imphal has attempted to

do so. I am aware that there are various networks in Manipur and the accused

organisation is part of various networks - this is the opportune time for

networks to intervene and thrash out issues.

If I may say, this is not the first time that such a thing has happened in

Manipur and I am confident that this is surely not the last time.

NGOs and activists have done enough for their own survival, there is

polarisation and, if I may say, misrepresentation of facts and figures in

national and international fora for reasons which are surely not in the interest

of HIV/AIDS or drugs prevention.

Let me take this opportunity to mention that various NGOs have not been able to

trash out issues in Manipur but are thinking big -

establishing networks in the entire north east and if given a chance the entire

country. It is high time that people of the region see through this game plan

and think twice before associating with any unscrupulous organisations/

indivuduals from Manipur !!

Best regards.

Alban Marak

E-mail: roving_eyes@...

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

I am very sorry that a person like Alban Marak would really be affected by the

few mails under the subject Stigma and Discremination in Manipur.

Every Users or PLHAs doesn't wanted to come out for any kinds of testimony or

even in the limelight because of certains Stigma attached to their problems,but

we have seen people coming out openly to the public just to give some helps or

services.And it is really encouraging,and World wide the approach has been

acknowledge in the concept form of GIPA.

Here,if you ask some families not necessarily a PLHAs but a Drug Users if he/she

is happy about his/her son/daughter working openly- what will be the response of

the family?

I am not saying every non-users NGOs are all alike or not working but to those

NGOs who pull out old War Stories/habits to emerge the same all problems to

hampers the hard earn progress and understanding and the development.

We much all accept the process or the development coming out of the experiences

from the services Internationally.

We sometime needs to accept the things we cannot change and take on the courage

to change the things we Can.... I mean sometimes we need to SURRENDER TO WIN!!!

Thanks and if anybody wanted to take the discussion further please do contact me

by mail - lbirendrajit@...

personally - S.A.S.O

L.Birendrajit Singh

General Secretary, SASO

Khwai Lalambung Makhong RIMS.Road(S)

Imphal-1,Manipur (India).

Phone:0385 2411408/2310011

E-mail: lbirendrajit@...