AIDS orphans seek aid

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 19: Sangita Mushahari (17) and her younger brother, Manas Mushahari, whose parents died of AIDS a few years back want to continue their studies with the financial support of the government.

The duo had to take refuge in their maternal grandmother’s house in English Bazaar town after the death of their parents.

Sangita had discontinued her study in 2004 after passing the Madhyamik examination due to the death of her father.

The duo’s father, Manik Chandra Mushahari, a retired border guard personnel, died in Assam on 9 June 2004 at the age of 40.

Their mother, Juthika Mushahari, died on 15 March 2005, in Malda district hospital due to AIDS.

After destiny’s cruel hands snatched the lives of their parents, the duo became orphans and they live with their 60-year-old grand mother, Ms Radharani Karmakar, a widow.

Ms Radharani, a resident of English Bazaar, gets Rs 1800 as family pension. She finds it difficult to even feed her grand children with the money she gets per month. They have no money to study.

Sangita said: “We have to live without food for many days after the death of our parents owing to AIDS.”

She added: “After the expiry of my father, the government had granted a family pension to my mother. She received the amount just for a few months before she also died of the killer disease. After our mother’s death, the government stopped providing the family pension to us. I wish to continue my education and to look after my brother if the government grants family pension in our names. The BSF authorities have so far not responded to our request, despite several reminders from us.”

Dr Binay Bhusan Sen, a former gynoecologist of a government hospital here who is also a Rotarian, said: “AIDS not only ruins a family but also jeopardises the development of society. “The death of the Mushahari couple has now left their children in a state of insecurity. We have tested the blood samples of Sangita, Manas and their older married sister but no AIDS virus was found in them.”

Dr Sen added: “She (Sangita) tried to get away from the disease by setting all the medical documents of her mother on fire.”

Dr Subrata De, deputy chief medical officer of health (II), said: “The deadly disease has spread in this region via thousands of migrant labourers. Most of the pregnant women have abortions with the help of quacks in rural areas.”

Dr Gopal Chandra Sarkar, chief medical officer of health, said: “We find more HIV patients among pregnant women. An awareness campaign should be launched in the red light areas of the region to combat the disease.” #