Minister wants HIV+ kids out of regular school

Latur: In Maharashtra, a state minister has openly backed villagers in Latur district, who were protesting against the presence of some HIV positive students in a local school.

Guardian Minister Dileep Deshmukh has also suggested special and separate facilities be made for HIV affected students.

The 10 children suffering from the disease are staying in the Ashram Sevalaya in the village, run by Amhi Sevak, an organisation serving orphans and children inflicted with the disease.

The affected children were admitted to the ZP school but controversy began when parents of at least 148 children out of the 240 stopped sending their wards to the school.

Education Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil had on Friday ordered a probe into the matter and directed the Latur Collector Ekanth Dawale to submit report within two days.

Deshmukh’s statement is in complete contrast with the district administrations reaction, which sent a stern warning to both the school and the villagers

But Deshmukh, after meeting the villagers, said it is not proper to take action against the parents.

"The parents are afraid that their children will also be affected by AIDS. We will think of making some separate provision for these children. We will also try to discuss the matter with the Chief Minister and do our best to sort out the issue amicably," Deshmukh said.

Director of the 'Sevalaya', Ravi Bapatley reacted with shock to Deshmukh’s statement, "It is the society that has given me the land and the money to run the organisation and the ashram for the AIDS and HIV-affected children. These children have very short life and even in this shorter span of life should they be kept away from the society?"

Kaustubh Vikas Amte of the Anandvan, established by social worker Baba Amte, also visited the Sevalya in the Hasegaon village.

"On one hand, government is spending crores of rupees for AIDS awareness campaigns and on the other hand it is thinking of keeping such children separately out of the society, this is contradictory to the government's policy," Amte said.