Walking to Make India AIDS-Free

September 15, 2005

Subhajit Pakira reports on behalf of Solidarity and Action Against The HIV

Infection in India (SAATHII)

Carzon Gate (Bardhaman district), September 10, 2005: “People may not remember

us but the information that we are disseminating among them would hopefully

remain with them forever,” says Dr. S. Ramachandran Rao, Medical Officer of the

“AIDS Walk for Life” team. Sharing his experience of being a part of the walk

organized by Project Concern International / India, Dr. Rao appreciated the

people of West Bengal for their enthusiasm and readiness to enquire about issues

around sexual and reproductive health.

Dr. Rao was speaking on the 22nd day of the walk in West Bengal (yesterday),

when the walkers entered Bardhaman town. A felicitation was organized for the

walkers at Bardhaman Town Hall. The programme was attended by Dr. S. K. Sarengi,

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Bardhaman District; Dr. Tushar Kanti Batabyal,

President of Indian Medical Association; Dr. Chandan Basu, Programme Officer of

National Service Scheme (NSS), Bardhaman; Dr. B. N. Kumar, Secretary, Sahid

Shibshankar Seba Samity and Mr. Santimoy Chattopadhay, Joint Secretary, Sahid

Shibshankar Seba Samity.

As part of the felicitation, a cultural programme was organized wherein students

of the NSS unit of Vivekananda College, Bardhaman, staged a short play on

HIV/AIDS. Other presentations included songs, dance performances and a magic

show. About 400 people attended the programme. Representatives of the MANAS

Bangla network and Kolkata Network of Positives discussed various points on

safer sex and stressed on the importance of dissemination of information on

HIV/AIDS.

The walkers would next be bound for Golsi from Ghordour Chati, Bardhaman. On

September 17, 2005, they would have covered approximately 1,000 km in West

Bengal before entering Jharkhand state.

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Note: This coverage of the walk as it passes through West Bengal comes as

SAATHII’s support towards PCI / India’s “AIDS Walk for Life” initiative. SAATHII

is also documenting portions of the walk through West Bengal on video and

through photographs, and has participated in a variety of HIV/AIDS awareness

generation and advocacy activities in Calcutta, Serampore and Chandannagar to

supplement the walk. SAATHII would like to acknowledge WBSAP & CS, Calcutta, and

Elton AIDS Foundation, London, for funding support towards these

activities.

Pawan Dhall

e-MAIL: <pawan30@...>

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