The natives call the mud house located in the southern corner of the Hadaha village a forbidden house. The seven inhabitants living in this house are not allowed to cross the boundary wall nor any one from the village intermix with them.
Reason- all the seven inhabitants are HIV- positive. Nandlal (46 years) his wife Uma Devi (40), and their two children, Ankit (4), Sakshi (6) are infected with HIV. Nandlal’s brother Phoolchand (40) his wife Nisha (35) and their daughter Annu (2 years) have also tested HIV positive.
Though the seven belong to powerful Brahmin community but have been ostracized by the residents of this predominantly dalit village. Hadaha is located around 90 km north of Chitrakoot.
In a meeting held in November the villagers prohibited them from using the public hand pumps or to draw water from the community well. The villagers have also directed their children not to play with Sakshi, Ankit and Annu.
Though the family is grip of penury still the landlords refuse to employ Nandlal and Phoolchand on field. On Wednesday when Nisha tried to draw water from the public hand pump the neighbours beat her up.
Talking to HT Nisha said we met the District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer, Sub Divisional Magistrate to draw their attention toward our plight and for monetary assistance to purchase the drug, but in vain. In the last week of October eight year old Raja (son of Nandlal) died.
{{/usCountry}}Talking to HT Nisha said we met the District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer, Sub Divisional Magistrate to draw their attention toward our plight and for monetary assistance to purchase the drug, but in vain. In the last week of October eight year old Raja (son of Nandlal) died.
{{/usCountry}}Nisha further said four years back both Nandlal and Phoolchand went to Mumbai in search of job. “Both got job of truck driver in a transport company. The problem started when both returned infected with HIV. Slowly the virus took the other members of the family into its grip. Now we are left with no other choice but to await death”, she said.
When asked how Raja and Sakshi got infected Nandlal replied often they visited the local quack for treatment. He used the same syringe without getting it sterilized. Anil (25) the younger brother of Nandlal is unmarried. “Though I am not infected with HIV still no one wants to marry his daughter in the family which has seven HIV positive case”, he said.
Hadha is not the lone village with HIV positive residents. Large number of migrant labourers who left their village located in Bundelkhand region to escape the scourge of drought are now returning with HIV infection. The HIV cases have been reported in the villages located near Baberu, Naraini, Badousa tehsil in Banda district.
Prabha Gupta who is working among the HIV positive people says large migration from this region has led to spurt in the HIV cases. Banda has been identified as a high-risk district after large numbers of cases were detected. There is need to create awareness among the masses in this backward region as majority of the population is illiterate and un aware about HIV.
The migrant labourers majority being men have left behind women in the villages. They are returning to the village after gap of two to three years and passing the virus to their wife. “This monsoon Bundelkhand recorded good rainfall and migrants are returning in hordes. There is need to organize HIV test camps in the villages to identify those who have been infected”, Gupta said.
The chief of Gulabi Sena (a women group), Sampat Pal says women are falling victim to HIV without any of their fault. The state government should create awareness among the people to protect vulnerable women from the virus.