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| wise words ::. | | What is the difference between genius and stupidity? Genius has limits. - Albert Einstein. |
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| editorial. | 05/10/02 |
AIDS and the people
IIt can be taken for granted that because of a campaign drive by NGOs and semi-government agencies in this field for the last two or three years, AIDS is now a common word in the state except maybe for some rural pockets in farflung parts of the state.
However, what AIDS is associated with, stigma, discrimination and social ostracism, is still a long way off from being replaced with more informed and educated knowledge in the public's mind.
The blame for this cannot but be placed on the shoulders of the most powerful and wide-reaching NGO of the state, the Young Mizo Association. When the AIDS scare first gripped the state, the YMA was the first to act to protect the population from AIDS in what it thought was best at that time - hurriedly burial of AIDS victims.
With more awareness in the disease, it is now the duty of the YMA to undo what it had done - discrimination and ostracisation of AIDS patient and victims. The anguish and difficulties faced by not only the victims, but of their relatives, become manifold when discrimination takes place. As citizens, and more importantly as Mizos, it is our duty to help those in trouble, not make more difficulties for them.
What the Central YMA need to do is lay down guidelines for branches to follow in dealing with AIDS victims, if it has not already done so. If the branches find these guidelines hard to follow, then the CYMA must follow up with an awareness programme for branch OBs.
If the biggest non-governmental organisation in the state do not take up this cause, all other NGO's efforts will come to naught.
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