IMPHAL, September 27: The State government remains a bystander without framing policies to check the spread of AIDS despite the disease having claimed 1905 lives and 25369 people affected by it, stated All Manipur Working Journalists`™ Union president Wangkhemcha Shamjai.
He was addressing the gathering in the inaugural function of a two day first ever State-level community event for people using drugs in Manipur as the president of the function.
Some of our elected representatives were involved in smuggling drugs for financing their election expenses and a former finance minister was apprehended with a kilogram of drugs in Guawati in 2008, he said.
This contrasts with the allegation that drug users are involved in petty crimes in the heart of city by the law enforcement agencies, he adds.
Stressing that the numbers of women infected with HIV have increased due to the existence of commercial sex workers in red light areas like North AOC, Shyamjai said the number of widows have increased as a result of indiscriminate killing by the security forces in this insurgency prone State.
Those widows have to struggle for survival and for providing the basic needs of their children.
Many of these women choose to be commercial sex workers for earning money and the problem is thus increased in our State, he adds.
He emphasised that now is the time for remedial measures to be adopted by the NGOs concerned requesting them to not keep the funds in their pockets.
MACS project director Sheilesh Kumar Chourasia said drug abusers must chart out their plans carefully well in advance before urging to the government help. India is a poor and developing county and the funds are going to be sanctioned only after taking due consideration of their demands.
In his key note address, Community Network for Empowerment and Community (CoNE) president Nalinikanta said they were organising the first community event where participants have come from all the eight districts of Manipur.
Since its formation in the year 2011, CoNE has progressed a lot in the last three years. Its achievements and progress in a short duration need to be commended by both the marginalised community and society at large, he added.
The establishment of a viral load testing facility at RIMS, free clinical investigations for the PLHIV and inclusion of HCV treatment under Manipur State illness Assistance (MSIAF) are few of the achievements that can be mentioned as a result of consistent advocacy. The network not only addresses the issues raised by individuals or several CBOs but has been playing the role of a watchdog by monitoring the State and National policies and initiatives that impact the CBOs, Nalinikanta said.