IMPHAL, March 2: Reacting to a monetary demand, the Social Awareness Service Organization (SASO) has today appealed to the concerned armed outfit for moral support and to withdraw its demand considering that the organization does not have surplus money apart from funds meant for various public health initiatives.
The Social Awareness Service Organization staged a sit in protest today against a monetary demand made to the organization by one of the armed outfit based in the state.
Several members, staff and people who have been associated with the organization as program beneficiaries led by its General Secretary Y. Shasikumar staged a sit in protest at Lamphelpat Supermarket near Shankar Talkies.
Speaking to media persons, Y . Shasikumar said that SASO was asked for a monetary demand first on February 13 by the KCP (Noyon) group and when the organization did not comply to it, the said organization threatened that SASO should close down down by February 25.
He continued that SASO was formed in 1991 by former drug users of the state without any help from then government agencies or any other individuals but based on the will to reform and give back to society. “Acknowledging the hard work and dedication of our organization, several agencies from the state as well as outside started providing SASO with schemes and projects through which the NGO has been surviving,” he said. He added that the organization existed for the welfare of marginalized communities like injecting drug users, men having sex with men, sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS and spouses and widows of drug users. ” We are able to carry out our activities only on the basis of our performance from donor agencies to whom we are accountable and do not have any surplus money to give to any group or organization,” he said while pointing out that non accounted spending would result in program fundings to be stopped entirely.
Adding further that SASO is currently constructing a school at Langol for students living with HIV/AIDS, Y. Shashikumar said that over 4000 people from Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Chandel and Churachanpur who are benefiting from various public health initiatives undertaken by SASO and over a 1000 youth who are engaged in awareness programs on sexual and reproductive health would be the most affected if SASO`s operational activities are impacted as a result of the monetary ban and the office closure. Appealing to the KCP (Noyon) group to recall its demand on SASO, he further called upon the group to render moral support to SASO in its initiatives.