DPS expels 16 HIV+ students

New Delhi, January 6 (The Pioneer): Barely a few days have passed since the observation of World AIDS Day with much fanfare allover the country, reiterating the pledge striving to achieve “universal access to healthcare and human rights of the HIV positive people”.
The Government of India is a signatory to United Nation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) which interalia, has set the target to combat the HIV, AIDS and reverse the trend of spreading it further, now comes the report of expulsion of 16 schoolchildren in Gurgaon in Haryana as they were found to be HIV positive.
The students were enrolled into the afternoon batch of Gurgaon’s highly reputed Delhi Public School(DPS), but were dismissed two days of their admission. The school management claimed to be “under prepared” to accommodate the HIV positive students.
The students were then transferred to Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, but only to suffer more atrocities at the hands of the school management. The students alleged to have been beaten, and forced to clean school premises by the teachers. This is totally unfortunate and Government should standup for the rights of these students.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on December 24, Convener of Parliamentary forum on HIV,AIDS and Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has sought personal intervention of Prime Minister and “standing up of with rights of these HIV positives students, besides action against official responsible for this incident.