HIV: His Individual Victory

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HIV: His Individual Victory

KARTYK VENKATRAMAN

Posted online: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 at 0319 hours IST

IMPHAL, AUGUST 23: In 1989, when K Basantakumar met a group of

people in secret—all former Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs)—to share

experiences and keep each other out of trouble, he had already been

jailed seven times for possession and peddling, lived on the

streets, been in and out of rehab, left by his wife and children and

plagued by ill-health.

Those were the days when the spread of HIV/AIDS among IDUs zoomed

from 0 to 60 per cent in Manipur and drug users were routinely

ostracized and arrested.

Basantakumar's clandestine meetings in Manipur's busy Thangal Bazaar

were probably the start of a unique self-help movement that's now

almost a way of life in the state.

Today, Imphal has over 50 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for the youth.

Several organisations, including the Care Foundation and the Manipur

Network of Positive People, are battling Manipur's biggest twin

threat—drugs and HIV/AIDS.

In 1991, after meeting for a couple of years and staying clean,

Basantakumar co-founded the Social Awareness Service Organisation

(SASO)—an NGO that tried a different approach to drug abuse and the

resultant spread of HIV/AIDS due to the sharing of needles and

syringes.

SASO provided drug users with clean-use techniques, by making

available syringes for individual use, counselling and medication in

an effort to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS among this user

community in the state.

The 48-year-old continues this work as project coordinator with

North-East India Harm Reduction Network, and is an inspiration to

thousands of youngsters who are IDUs and HIV positive.

``It all began because we wanted to start anew in life and, by being

together, the chances of a relapse were diminished. Those days we

met secretly and had no funds. Money was raised through housie

meets, sports activities and musical nights,'' recalls

Basantakumar.He says making drug use transparent is the only way to

win the confidence of users, and convince them to practice safety

measures.

``Back in the late '80s, an IDU accidentally killed a child while

trying to rob the child's earrings. This incident sparked off a huge

public outcry. Family members would often get drug users arrested,

the police and society cracked down heavily,'' recalls Basantakumar.

``Instead of solving the problem, this drove them underground. Drug

abuse continued, but in secret and through sharing limited syringes,

leading to a wider spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis-C,'' he adds.

But the grassroots movement changed everything. Now, drug users can

visit drop-in centres at any NGO and get new syringes, pick up vials

of distilled water, get free tea, watch TV or play carrom.

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=76877