Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 21
She lost her husband, child and job as a nurse in a hospital, in just 6 months. After which followed a vicious cycle of depression, discrimination and the relentless urge to commit suicide, to emerge a victor she is today. Leena Rane, 34 years of age and hailing from Maharastra, is a confident,stronger woman today by virtue that she wore out the dregs which life gifted her, to share her experiences and spread the message of a rewarding life in spite of all. Leena Rane is a HIV positive woman. Not that she is bothered.
Leena came to know of her HIV + status after a test on August 15, 1998. The next 2 years would be spent in severe depression and obsession with suicide. She dare not venture out of her house for fear of what people would say, how her family, leave alone herself, would be discriminated against if her HIV+ status was known. Her hospital refused to treat her; she was fired and finally her husband promptly divorced her. “My family was my greatest inspiration to live life again” Leena told The Morung Express. Instead of treating her differently, Leena’s parents encouraged and supported her to pick up the pieces. “They were the ones who encouraged me to gather more information on HIV/AIDS, to join various societies and NGOs. Through them I found out that there were NGOs who cared and worked for people like me” she said. If she had remained ignorant she wouldn’t be where she is today, Leena says. She realized that she wanted to ‘come out’ and be an inspiration to someone with an HIV+ status. Her first step was to join an NGO working with HIV+ people.
Leena joined INP+ (Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS) in 2001 and instated into NMP+ (Maharastra). Since then, Leena has gathered a wide spell of experience and knowledge. And of course strength to spread hope. Leena is currently working with the Future’s Group, Delhi, which works for HIV Positive people, sex-workers, Homosexuals and drug-users. She feels that ignorance and lack of proper knowledge about HIV/AIDS has contributed much in worsening the modern scourge. “If HIV+ people were given proper knowledge and encouraged more, the problem would not be that urgent” she said. Family support however, is what she emphasizes more. She made it clear that ‘picking up the pieces’ starts with the family. Here a patient would either degenerate into self-pity and hopelessness if discriminated or that would emerge stronger and more confident.
Leena interacted with some sex-workers in Dimapur. She opined that there weren’t much difference in the way people treated HIV+ people. “Everywhere, whether in Maharastra or Nagaland, it’s the same. However there’s a little change – before they discriminated you directly. Now they discriminate you with sugar coatings” she laughed. Leena is on a 10-day visit Nagaland to interact with infected people. “I feel normal. Very normal” she said in Hindi tinged with a hint of Bihari accent.
