Low attendance of legislators at Legislators' HIV Forum-Nagaland

July 11, 2010

Low attendance of legislators at Mon HIV/AIDS meet

Our Correspondent

Mon | July 10 : The advocacy campaign on HIV/AIDS held at Mon Town Hall on

Friday by the Legislators' Forum-Nagaland, suffered from the low attendance of

just two Konyak legislators out of nine. There was an atmosphere of

disappointment at the evidently casual attitude to the issue of HIV/AIDS

displayed by the absenteeism of the remaining seven legislators who were also

given part as guest speakers in the said program.

MLA Chingwang Konyak and MLA and Advisor to DUDA EE Paangteang Konyak rescued

the day with their presence and suggestions on how to further strengthen the

HIV/AIDS campaign.

Speaking at the program, MLA Chingwang opined that schools should impart

HIV/AIDS education during the morning chapel at least once a month. Young people

are one of the most vulnerable groups, he said. He strongly suggested this

method for spreading awareness so that " our young people can be saved " through

prevention which he said was the best option available.

Addressing the students present during the function, Chingwang said that a high

percentage of transmission was detected among young people in the age group 18

to 25. He also advised them to get tested even if one feels relatively healthy.

Post-transmission " care is much later, but most important is prevention, "

Chingwang emphasized. The MLA further denounced the practice of women having

sexual relations with truckers and immigrant for money saying that a number of

Naga women were being infected through them. He urged the women to be careful

and not to indulge in such relations with people they do not know.

MLA Pangteang on the other hand advocated abstinence, implying Christian values

for a Christian state. He said human nature leads people to do the exact things

they are prohibited from doing as seen in the use of alcohol, opium and drugs,

in Nagaland. While he thought that advocacy programs and seminars should

continue, as a Christian state, Nagas should consciously abstain from sexual

relation before marriage.

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