Banta passed away: Condolence meeting today at 5.30 pm

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Lila Banta Singh, a Sainik School-educated, Architect and an AIDS activist from

Manipur, passed away earlier this morning (July 22). He was the President of

Manipur Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (MNP+) since 1998 and Board

member of INP+ since 2000.

He was also the board member of GNP+ (Global Network of people living with

HIV/AIDS) since 2002. He has greatly contributed to the mobilization of people

living with HIV in the North-east India inspite of the intense stigma associated

with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and injecting drug use.

Being a former injecting drug user, he wanted PLHA groups as well as the

government to understand the specific issues of injecting drug users living with

HIV/AIDS. He used to assert that since the epidemic in the Northeastern India is

different from other parts of India and there was a need to give special and

intense attention to this region.

His journey from being a person living with HIV to president of MNP+ and then to

board member of GNP+ has been very motivating. People living with HIV in India

and other parts of the world will always remember him for his intense activism

and vision. He has been a great crusader fighting for the rights of PLHA and

injecting drug users in India. One cannot forget his gentleness as well as the

strong commitment in changing the lives of PLHA in India. His death is a great

loss to the movement of people living with HIV in India. With a heavy heart,

INP+ conveys its condolences to his family members and PLHA in India.

INP+ is organizing a condolence meeting today at 5.30 pm in its Chennai

Secretariat office. People from Chennai can join us in this grievance meeting.

In solidarity,

K. K. Abraham,

President, INP+

E-mail: <inpplus@...>

_______________________________

The spirit of Banta will not die. Patralekha Chatterjee.

Dear Rama and everyone who knew Banta

This is indeed one of the saddest moments for all of us ! My thoughts with

Banta's family and everyone who knew this remarkable and positive human being. I

will always remember him for the laughter and sunshine he spread. Banta was one

of the most talented and cheerful persons I have met in course of my field work

on HIV/AIDS. An architect by training and an artist at heart, Banta's songs and

dancing livened up many events that I have attended.

Banta may be dead but the spirit of Banta will not die.

In condolence and solidarity

Patralekha

E-mail: <patralekha_chatterjee@...>