Re: HIV-positive siblings pin their hopes on Chandy !

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr. Hill and Esteemed Readers of this Forum,

I register my strong protest against Mr. Hill's last posting on " HIV-

positive siblings pin their hopes on Chandy " as a concerned citizen

of India.

At the outset, I must say that it is extremely derogatory

for the President of an organisation to use such a language, and

accuse and " label " the national character of a nation.

Please be advised that your " crocodile tears " and " outcry " for humanism from far

across the sea would turn most of us " off " rather than sensitising us on an

issue you are trying to advocate for.

Dear Mr. Hill, let me remind you that India has numerous examples of AIDS

orphans being taken care of by the extended family or state

institutions. Moreover, how are these two kids, Bency and Benson,

different from millions of underprivileged children who go hungry

(and virtually empty stomach!) every day? How are these two " AIDS

orphans " different from millions other " non-AIDS orphans? " Have you

ever asked or would you ever ask the same question " has India no soul or no

shame? " as far as millions of other poor, underprivileged non-AIDS orphan

children are concerned?

Remember, you are dealing with a developing nation where poverty is so

widespread that going hungry everyday is virtually a part of the daily routine

of millions of our citizens irrespective of their seropositive status,

especially where about 36 percent of a nation's population survive on less than

one dollar per day! I would rather assess the condition of these two children as

" privileged " compared to their " millions counterpart " who could not survive and

see their " fifth birthday " due to poverty, hunger, malnutrition and disease.

What makes Bency and Benson so special (other than they are Christian, and you

work for a Catholic Christian organisation) that national and international

media attention must be mobilised (as you say) as far as their chances of

survival is concerned? How could you compromise or have been compromising the

survival chances of millions others underprivileged, non-AIDS orphan children

who have died or who have been dying from poverty, hunger and disease?

I am NOT arguing that these children ought to be left behind either!

What I am concerned with is the " hypocrisy " of our activism whereby

we tend to create a layer of " privileged class " superseding other's

entitlements who might be " worst-off " (than those whom we advocate

for) on any definite set of criteria (in this case, one's

serostatus).

The way we have been trying to advocate for AIDS exactly create layers and

layers and layers of privileged classes over millions others dispossessed,

marginalised, and oppressed sections of the society. And the present one is a

classic example of this,

barring hundreds others, which I will cite later.

" Every orphan irrespective of his or her serostatus deserves humanism. " I have

never seen India's President or Ms Sushma Swaraj or Chief Minister of Kerala

taking photographs with non-AIDS orphans and have such a wide media publicity as

Bency and Benson has.

We as AIDS-advocates argue " PLHAs " should be given free treatment for OIs; all

major testing and medicines should be free.

Mr Sashi Kumar from Alliance India once argued for a single window system in the

hospital for " PLHAs; " NGOs in Delhi advocate " PLHAs " should get a free DTC bus

pass; many advocate " PLHAs " should be given an employment, a job, economic

support to run small business; free food and nutrition support; education for

children, job for spouses; home for homeless " PLHAs " and hundreds other material

privileges based on one's serostatus; even to such extent that there should be a

separate queue in the hospital for " PLHAs; " and to quote one PLHA from my

earlier study in Delhi " we need to be treated as VIPs. "

When there is no system in place for " general public, " why should all these

privileges be instituted for PLHAs separately? If a " common man " does not get

what he deserves both from the society and the state, what does one's serostatus

make him/her so special that all these privileges be given to him/her

superseding other's entitlements? Or the argument here being that due to

activism " for PLHAs, " general public would be benefited as a " by-product " of an

improved health and social system?

Sir, sitting in an air-conditioned office of a capitalist, developed, western,

industrialised world (Australia, with its imperial, colonialist history),

branding a nation as " soulless " or " shameless " is extremely derogatory, vulgar,

inhuman, oppressive, and hegemonic that legitimises a colonial interference.

As I said earlier, India has numerous examples of AIDS orphans being supported

by the extended family or state institutions.

I want to challenge the proposition made here by saying that " India has its soul

intact. " That is why these two children are surviving at age 10 compared to

their millions counterpart who could not have better survival chances just

because they were not orphaned by HIV.

My final advice to Mr. Hill would be, " take these two orphans in Australia and

prove that Australia has both its soul and shame " if it is so easier for you to

pass such a blank judgement on a nation.

Sincerely

Subir K. Kole

Canadian Commonwealth Fellow

Research Fellow, East West Center 2004-08

Director (Research and Training)

Development Experts International

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

E-mail: subir@...