Flag Meetings on the Indo-Bangla Border on World AIDS Day 2005

[Guest guest]

Flag Meetings on the Indo-Bangla Border on World AIDS Day 2005

Suprio Chattopadhyay and Santanu Pyne report on behalf of Solidarity and Action

Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII)

Bongaon (North 24 Parganas District), December 3, 2005: The Petrapole border

crossing on the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, not far from Bongaon

town, was a hotspot for World AIDS Day 2005 activities this year. Petrapole

would be many things to many people. An important trading gateway between the

two countries, Petrapole also witnesses trafficking in humans, sex work,

cross-border migration and HIV/AIDS. No wonder therefore that many NGOs and the

border security forces of both India and Bangladesh focussed on Petrapole for

World AIDS Day activities.

While the border security forces of India and Bangladesh organized a Flag

Meeting to observe World AIDS Day, the Petrapole office of Bhoruka Public

Welfare Trust organized a rally in which school children, and district

administration and police officials participated. A stall was also set up to

focus on edutainment activities like quizzes, street plays, condom demonstration

and social marketing of condoms, and HIV/AIDS literature distribution.

“People need to know more about AIDS and the World AIDS Fortnight gives us an

opportunity to give them the information through awareness programmes at various

places,” said Kakoli Biswas, member of North 24 Parganas Network of People

Living with HIV/AIDS. Kakoli Biswas was part of a mass awareness programme

conducted by people living with HIV/AIDS outside the premises of the Chandpur

Primary Health Centre at Thakurpur, in North 24 Parganas district today

(December 3).

Gobinda Bhowmick, Programme Coordinator, Bhoruka Public Welfare Trust,

Petrapole, said: “Throughout the year we organize programmes to sensitize people

about various issues related to HIV/AIDS, but during this time of the year we

highlight the factors that make people vulnerable to the infection and organize

events involving people from various strata of society.”

Among other NGOs that organized activities in and around Bongaon were MANAS

Bangla, a statewide network of voluntary agencies working with males who have

sex with males (MSM). Peer educators of MANAS Bangla enacted a street play

addressing the stigma attached to homosexuality and HIV/AIDS at the Petrapole

Border Outpost and Bongaon Bata More. After the play, the performers approached

the onlookers requesting them to light candles in memory of the people who had

died of AIDS. It was a moving sight to see people paying tribute to those

departed, and taking an oath to counter the spread of the epidemic by working

together and spreading information on HIV/AIDS.

--------------------------------

Note: This coverage of the World AIDS Day 2005 activities in West Bengal comes

as SAATHII’s solidarity towards all individuals and organizations engaged in

HIV/AIDS work in the state. These activities would also be documented through

photographs, video and illustrated print reports by SAATHII. Acknowledgements

are due to WBSAP & CS, Calcutta, and Elton AIDS Foundation, London, for

funding support towards these activities.