CPM Forced to close an HIV prevention proejct in Kerala

[Guest guest]

Anti-AIDS Project branded prostitution cover.

By P.DIVAKARAN

Kanhangad, July 27 : The allegation that a foreign-funded voluntary

agency had been promoting prostitution in the guise of fighting the

spread of AIDS was spicy enough to hog headlines in the local

eveningers. As the news touched the raw nerves of the moral

sentiments of people living in the local area, the pro-CPM All India

Democratic Women's Association descended on the scene forcing the non-

governmental agency to close shop and look for a safer place to go

ahead with their project.

And this was what really happened at Nileswaram where the People's

Association for Non-formal Education ad Development in Technology

(Pantech), a voluntary organisation was assigned a `Partnership for

Sexual Health' (PSH) project by a UK-based international agency.

Even as the confused sexual more of the people caused a lot of

hurdles to Pantech in the implementation of its project, the sabre-

rattling women's association of the CPM made it virtually impossible

for the former to go ahead with its AIDS awareness project.

The Democratic Women's Association has already forced the Pantech to

close its centre at Ayangoth near Nileswaram. And what's more, the

DWA had further threatened to oppose Pantech's move to find an

alternative centre for their project.

The PSH project being implemented as a national-level progaramme for

the prevention of AIDS, is just one of the major activities taken up

by the Pantech.

The targeted groups of the project included sex workers, auto, taxi

and truck drivers, fishermen and HIV-infected persons.

The adopted strategy involved encouraging safe sex practice,

treatment to those affected by sexually transmitted diseases (STD),

and supply of freee medicines and the setting up of free medical

camps.

As part of its efforts to establish close interaction with the

targeted groups, the Pantech had rented a house at Ayangoth, about a

couple of kilometers from the Nileswaram town.

A peer-education programme aimed at providing the necessary training

to the sex workers also had been launched by the agency at the

Ayangoth centre. The supply of condoms to sex workers also was an

essential part of the propagation of safe sex practices.

Said Kookkanam Raheman, General Secretary of the Pantech: " We were

given the project by the Kerala Sate AIDS Control Society on the

basis of a detailed need-assessment. The first phase of the

intervention strategy pursued by us from December 2000 to June this

year was free of any incidents. The trouble started with the

launching of the second phase of intervention programme which began

in May 2001 " .

The sex workers frequenting the Pantech's PSH programme at Ayangoth

and the distribution of condoms came to be viewed with suspicion by

the local people who obviously had no idea about the project. They

found it as just another hideout of sex workers. The sex workers were

allowed to spent much of their time at the Ayangoth centre and this

only served to strengthen their suspicion that it was nothing less

than brothel.

It was at this stage that the leaders of the All India Democratic

Women's Association entered on the scene. The district president of

the Association, V.P. Janaki and few oter leaders entered the

Ayangoth centre a couple of weeks ago and questioned the activities

of the Pantech centre.

A few days before her visit, a board put up before the centre had

been thrown into a well nearby by an unidentified group of people.

The argument of the association leader was that Pantech was promoting

prostitution instead of trying to rehabilitate the sex workers.

When contacted by this reporter, Janaki who is also the state vice-

president of the association said that Pantech had done nothing to

rehabilitate the sex workers although there are nearly 60 self help

groups of women working in the district.

" The people behind the Pantech had turned the project just as another

centre for the exploitation of these hapless women. We can't allow

the project to continue, " she said.

The Pantech was asked to wind up its centre at Ayangoth by the

leaders of the Democratic Women's Association who further warned the

former against reopening it elsewhere in the district.

When the owner of the building from Ayangoth centre of the PSH

project got threatening telephone calls, Pantech had no alternative

but to vacate the building and relocate the centre temporarily to its

office at Nileswaram town.

According to PSH project director Sheji ph, those associated with

the project had now managed to find another building at Bavikkara.

July 28, 2001 New Indian Express.

___________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi,

This is the second time that a HIV group is being

attacked for supposed morality and other

considerations, devoid of any consideration of the

health concerns of the persons involved.

The National AIDS control policy talks of all the

things that this NGO/group was doing in Kerala, and

still they were attacked and shut down. A similar

thing has happened in the case of the Bharosa NGO in

Lucknow, where workers were arrested for they were

working on HIV prevention and awareness amongst Men

who have sex with men. The police have charged that

they were spreading homosexuality against Indian

culture and have booked them under the anti sodomy

law. They are yet in custody after one month.

I wonder if NACO or the state AIDS control society

have bothered to defend the NGO in Kerela or the work

they were doing in consonence of their very own

national policy. Do let us know what stand they take.

Regards

Aditya

E-mail:<adit_bond@...>