Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: “AIDS Walk for Life” Bids Adieu to West Bengal - A SAATHII Report

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Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind: “AIDS Walk for Life” Bids Adieu to West Bengal

Amitava Sarkar, Subhajit Pakira and Suprio Chattopadhyay report on behalf of

Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII)

Barakar (Bardhaman district), September 17, 2005: “Walking through Bengal was

one of the most moving phases of the walk. We’re now exhausted of receiving

roses,” smiled Mohan Singh, a member of the Project Concern International /

India’s “AIDS Walk for Life” team that crossed over to Jharkhand state today

around 3 pm at Barakar in Bardhaman district. On the other side of the border

created by river Barakar, the walkers were welcomed at a place called Chirkunda.

Members of the Kolkata Network of HIV Positives, who had accompanied the walkers

right from the day they entered West Bengal at Sonakonia in East Midnapur

district on August 19, 2005, were in tears as they hugged and bid adieu to the

walkers. Clearly, in about a month the walkers spent in the state, they had done

more than just walk. They had created memories that would stay a long time.

Yesterday, in Asansol, a welcome ceremony was organized for the walkers near the

railway station as they entered the town. Mr. Tapas Ray, Mayor, Asansol; Mr.

Binod Singh, Deputy Mayor, Asansol; Mr. Prabir Dhar, Secretrary, Bardhaman

Voluntary Blood Donors Forum; and Dr. Dilip Dutta, Assistant Chief Medical

Officer of Health, Bardhaman District spoke on the occasion. Dr. Dutta thanked

all the walkers for the courageous journey they had undertaken. Mr. Dhar said

the walkers had set an example for everyone to follow towards learning about

AIDS and checking its spread, especially among the youth of India.

Earlier today (September 17) Disha Janakalyan Kendra, an Asansol-based NGO

working with sex workers’ health issues organized a felicitation for the

walkers. Among the key officials present for the event were Ms. Jayati Sengupta,

Secretary, Disha Janakalyan Kendra; Mr. S. K. Sarengi, Chief Medical Officer of

Heatlh, Bardhaman District; and Mr. Atul Mallick, CEO, Kulti Purosabha.

Dr. S. Ramachandran Rao, Medical Officer of the “AIDS Walk for Life” team, said,

“If we have to check the spread of HIV/AIDS, we have to go to the problem, the

problem won’t come to us.” In Orissa when he was asked if the problem of

HIV/AIDS could ever be solved, he replied it would be possible only if each

person received proper information about HIV/AIDS. The event winded up with a

rendition of the song “We shall overcome” by members of Disha Janakalyan Kendra.

After more than nine months on the road, the walkers were still a long way from

New Delhi – their final destination for a tryst with destiny. But the humungous

effort they had already put in would hopefully help a lot of people control

their destiny and avoid a tryst with AIDS. Kudos to the walkers, to their

courage and persistence!

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Note: This coverage of the walk as it passed through West Bengal was provided as

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

also documented portions of the walk through West Bengal on video and through

photographs, and 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.