CHANDEL, December 1: The All Tribal Women’s Organisation (ATWO) in collaboration with District Legal Services Authority, Chandel organized the World Aids Day observation cum Legal Awareness at Life Care Centre located at Tuishimi in Chandel district today.
Advocate Ng Nongyai who is a former Member of Manipur Human Rights Commission and M. Ibohal Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Chandel who is also secretary of Chandel District Legal Services Authority graced the program as the chief guest and functional president respectively.
K. Moikham, Secretary ATWO delivered the key-note address, while TK Amita, former secretary ATWO and Lewis, ANM of Chakpikarong PHC spoke as resource persons on the topic of Rights of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in the Society.
Several Widows and People living with HIV/AIDS from different communities of the district took part in the observation cum Legal Awareness program.
Speaking as the chief Gguest, advocate Ng Nongyai said that the State is besieged with the problem of HIV/AIDS and drug abused since the past few decades.
And there is a fairly good number of people living with HIV / AIDS in the State who were suffering not only from the dreaded virus but also from social stigma, he added.
He further maintained that most of the people misconceived that people living with HIV / AIDS were infected due to their loose moral character or substance abused.
But majority of them particularly women and child were infected unknowingly and not because of their own misdeeds. As such, we have to treat them equally and they should not be looked down and discriminated upon in the society, said the former member of Human Rights Commission.
While strongly condemning discrimination against them, the advocate also urged that all the concern authority should ensure to provide the facilities and welfare schemes to the people living with HIV / AIDS without any discrimination.
M Ibohal Singh also maintained that social stigma and discrimination against People living with HIV / AIDS is against the law.
AIDS is just a dreaded disease caused by a virus called HIV. And with proper nutrition and medication any persons living with HIV / AIDS can also leads a healthy and normal life too. So, we have to stop discrimination against them but let’s motivate them so that they can live with dignity, he added.