Down the memory lane

WALKING WITH + Ves


It was a Sunday and around 3.45 p.m, my white Qualis screeched to a halt near a shop a Chathanoor on the NH47. The shop had an attractive array of toys ranging from Spiderman to Donald Duck, sure to kindle the child in you..The toy display drew my colleague and me in. Of course, we had a purpose in having a closer look at those toys. With hardly any hesitation, we picked up a cute duck and scruffy hare. "Rs. 40" the shopkeeper said in a rather gruffy voice, when asked for the price. What followed was a bout of haggling over the price. Preferring to leave the job to my colleague, I walked towards the car.

Minutes later, may colleague joined me with a sparkle in his eyes. For, he had with him the duck and the hare and two colourful balls as well. Sensing my quizzical look at the extras he had with him, he hastened to explain that the balls were gifts, courtesy the shopkeeper. "While bargaining with him, I just made a casual reference that two hapless children were in dire need of such toys. He immediately asked me whether it was for Bency and Bensen of his native Chathanoor village. He gave two colourful balls as his contrbution. The magnanimity of the shopkeeper, who was curt just minute ago, convinced me that the fountain of compassion and love for two forsakened HIV + children was not dry after all.

A 15 minute drive took us to Bency and Benson’s residence. We were pleasantly surprised to see the local Parish Priest and two young men at this otherwise desolate and gloomy house of the late K. C Chandy. For sure, there was a marked change in the atmosphere. During my visit, on May 14, 2003 hardly anyone took notice of the presence of senior Government officials who spent three hours on a mission of purpose. The mission: to ascertain the welfare of Bency and Bensen, the two innocent children who were denied of their fundamental right to education, just because they were HIV + Ves and children of two human beings died of HIV AIDS recently.

No doubt, it was a painful, yet purposeful visit. It was painful because the candid statements of the aging maternal grandparents, the sole refuge and shelter of the two kids, moved us. Yet, it was purposeful because it enabled us to chalk out a strategy to take care of the stigmatized children. “What on earth did these children do? Why are they being denied education? Why do the looked down upon? Why are parents of other students in the Kaithakuzhy Government Lower Primary School vehemently oppose their presence? asked the virtually blind grandmother. She narrated the turn of events. “My only daughter, Princy, was married to Chandy, who hailed from our village. He had been working in Mumbai since mid 80s and the first child died of HIV AIDS, when she was only 31/2 years old . Chandy, who returned to his village, settled down by building a house and opening a ration shop. In December 2001, he died of HIV AIDS. But he bequeathed his infection to his wife and two children. For, Princy too soon walked into the death’s claws. what sin did my daughter commit to suffer such an untimely and cruel death? the grandmother, Sally, veiled. Chandy married Princy knowing fully well that he had HIV infection. Non one suffering from such an infection should marry a hapless girl and infect her,moaned the old woman.

Death was cruel for her daughter, because society looked down up on her with stigma. She was almost ostracized, before death saved her from more excruciating pain. As is the case with all people living with AIDS, Princy too succumbed to her infection in 2001, leaving behind Bency and Bensen. But tragedy continued to haunt Benny Bungalow. For, the two kids were also diagnosed positive for AIDS. Once friends, relatives and neighbours got wind of the Chandy's infection, they started boycotting the two kids and their grandparents.

Life became rather difficult for Bency and Bensen when their story came under Media glare. One school after another shut its doors firmly on them. Parents of Kaithakuzhy Government Lower Primary School, where they were initially admitted, refused to send their wards to school and vociferously demanded the kids’ ousterA meeting was held in the school on March 4 2003 to resolve the issue that had become quite knotty by then. A few did sympathize with the childredn; but none came forward to lend them a helping handOur May 14 visit had its effect. The two children were immediately put though the paces of medical tests. They are now under the treatment of Dr. Noel Naryaanan, one of Kerala’s well-known pulmonologists. The words of Dr Narayanan, who examined the two childredn with his bare hands, were quite revealing “HIV\AIDS doew not spread be it through sitting, sharing, eating, playing, studying or other associations with the infected”, he had opined. For a moment, another small incident came as flashback – July 27, 2003, the day I visited the Marthoma Church, nestled in the Chathanoor hamlet (The kids belong to this Church). I was asked to say a few words after the Parish Priest, who himself was standing in for his colleague, gave his sermon.I appealed to the congregation to show compassion to the two children. “Stigma and segregation are not part of the teachings of Jesus Christ and there is no point in remaining a Christian, Hindu or Muslim by name,” I said inviting their attention to what Christ said at the time of his crucification –“O Lord, They know not what they do. Forgive them.Requested the gathering to be compassionate and treat the kids with love because Jesus Never Fails (GOSPEL??) and advocates for sympathy and love to those who suffer. I called upon the faithful to take care of these hapless children and see that they continue to be part of the community. I urged them to follow the teachings and preaching of great saints/apostles/sons of God/Messiah so that all of us could be real and good human beings.Honestly I never thought my appeal would have an affirmative impact in the young and the old alike who had assembled there. The responses assured me of the proverbial beacon at end of the tunnel. The day’s happenings left in me a deep conviction that sensitive issues can be settled if delicately handled. Coming back to our current visit, we spent some time with the children, their grandparents, the Parish Priest, and other members of the church and some youths of the village. The children were naturally overjoyed by the gifts they received.We stirred out of Benny Bungalow half an hour later for a stroll around the village. Alongwith us were Benson and Bency, their grandfather, Parish Priest and two youngsters from the congregation (Incidentally, one of them is a teacher who had taught these children in the Parish Nursery School). Abraham Mathew, Project Director, State Management Agency, Kerala, District Mass Media officer anil Kumar and his driver Vijay Mohan Pillai. Of course, the stroll, a Padayatra of sorts had a purpose. Our aim was to make the local people realize that there was nothing wrong in walking alongwith people living with AIDS, eating with them, visiting them and playing with them.There were not many people around when we headed for the narrow village streets. But as we walked along the road, quite a few come out of their homes, talking in hushed tones about the +ve children. The progressive among them promptly responded to the Parish Priest’s invitation to join the walk. Some merely smiled and weakly stated they were otherwise preoccupied. A few college going girls joined us in our walk. And as we wandered through the Chathanoor lanes, the assembly of people grew in size.Bency and Benson are attracted to Vijay Mohanan Pillai the Driver. Naturally so, because he has been their escort tot the doctor, the clinic, the beach, the park, and for their shopping. Pillai gets the kids whatever they want, be it pens, tops notebooks, or ice cream. He drives them around as if they were his own children. I am tempted to callhim the Saviour, because of his rare commitment. The devotion he has taken up this self imposed assignment and his compassion can not be narrated in words. Will there be many more such noble souls to work for the sick and deserted.Our walking with the +ve children has made us realize that the people of Chathanoor are not all that bad as depicted. It convinced us that they would collectively whether the storm and take care of the children if given a chance. We are confident that the children would be able to break the barriers of stigma, given the present for Bency and Benson, help them get re-admitted to the same school that threw them out and demonstrate to the outside  world that Kerala is God’s own country in its truest sense.Given the sentiments of love and hope that pervades this hamlet, we are secure in our sentiments that Bency and Benson would live longer than expected and that in the next few years a vaccine would be invented for curing HIV/AIDS.Then, the millions of orphanded children like Bancy and Benson could live and lead a normal life, bereft of stigma, exploitation and denial of fundamental rights.


BRIEF SKETCH OF THE DOCUMENTSRY

Subsequently, actor Sh. Suresh Gopi oined us on Sunday, the 12th October, 2003 another day (13.10.2003). Subesequently, during his visit to Kochi, I was asked to take the children to H.E. the President of India .He briefly met the children and appealed to all (at a subsequently meeting in Kochi) to show love and compassion to Benson and Bency
Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare who visited Trivandrum wanted to meet these children. I took these children to her and suggested that GOI should have programme for treatment of HIV/AIDS patient. She announced at the press conference at the Press Club, Trivandrum that Government of India would provide for anti retroviral drugs HIV/AIDS patients. She also announced that the Hindustan Latex Lted would extend financial assistance to Benson & Bency for their treatment during the next 5 years to the tune of Rs. 3 lakhs. The M.D of HLL handed over a cheque for Rs. 60,000 (amount for the treatment for the first year) at the birth day party of Benson & Bency on at--------- at the public function organized in Adichanalloor village. As per the announcement made at the Press Conference, GOI are supplying anti retroviral drugs to high prevalent statesPHOTO OF SUSHMAJI KISSING BENSON All my individual efforts with the active support of some of the members of staff DMO, and the local people have finally yielded results. Benson & Bency have been readmitted into the school in December, 2003- in 9 months from the day they were thrown out of Govt. L.P. School KaithakuzhyLetter from the Secretary to the President of India.