Kishalay Bhattacharya
Last week an unnamed militant group in Manipur issued threats to the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) saying that the organisation will come to serious harm if it releases any funds to NGOs working with HIV+ patients.
They charged the NGOs of misusing the funds. To make sure the message was heard loud and clear the militants delivered a grenade to director T R Kom's house.
''Since there is some external pressure on us, we cannot release the funds. The external forces tell us that you should not release the funds. And if you do so without our permission, without our consent, then you'll be in trouble,'' said T R Kom, Director, Manipur AIDS Control Society.
This is not the first threat. In July, armed militants had opened fire outside the house of the previous director to scare him as a result he resigned.
Real reason
But when AIDS activists are asked if the militant's claim of AIDS funds being misused is true then a new story emerges. Given the dangers, no one is willing to give any answers on camera. But off camera they tell the real reason.
At present there are about 50 NGOs working under Manipur AIDS Control Society and Manipur has the highest percentage of HIV+ people in the country.
So their work is to reach out to the state's 27,000 patients most of them dependent on government funds for treatment.
The plight of Manipur is so big in the map of AIDS activism that the state receives huge funds from the world over, including grants from the Bill Gates Foundation.
And this is where the militants come in. They have realised that there is huge money in AIDS and started demanding big haftas or bribes without which they don't let NGOs do any groundwork.
Pressure tactic
Now some militant groups want more money. So they are threatening the Manipur AIDS Control Society as a pressure tactic.
''You know these are life and death problems. What they actually want right now is to increase their percentage from the things they have already received from the MACS,'' said an NGO worker.
Just last month the militants had shut down all drug supplies in the state because the pharma traders and shopkeepers had refused to pay up Rs 1 crore extortion money. And Manipur had slipped into a medical emergency.
Only recently the supplies resumed after insiders say money was finally paid up. Threats like these have become so common that this recent one to the AIDS control Society only meets with a response of resignation.
''I am telling you, truly speaking, any state, wherever in India it may be, everyone is working under pressure. It's a normal phenomenon,'' said S Manikanta, Deputy Director, Manipur AIDS Control Society.
Hope the huge amount of cash flowing into militants' hands is stopped at the earliest.
---------------------------------------
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070025128
Last week an unnamed militant group in Manipur issued threats to the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS) saying that the organisation will come to serious harm if it releases any funds to NGOs working with HIV+ patients.
They charged the NGOs of misusing the funds. To make sure the message was heard loud and clear the militants delivered a grenade to director T R Kom's house.
''Since there is some external pressure on us, we cannot release the funds. The external forces tell us that you should not release the funds. And if you do so without our permission, without our consent, then you'll be in trouble,'' said T R Kom, Director, Manipur AIDS Control Society.
This is not the first threat. In July, armed militants had opened fire outside the house of the previous director to scare him as a result he resigned.
Real reason
But when AIDS activists are asked if the militant's claim of AIDS funds being misused is true then a new story emerges. Given the dangers, no one is willing to give any answers on camera. But off camera they tell the real reason.
At present there are about 50 NGOs working under Manipur AIDS Control Society and Manipur has the highest percentage of HIV+ people in the country.
So their work is to reach out to the state's 27,000 patients most of them dependent on government funds for treatment.
The plight of Manipur is so big in the map of AIDS activism that the state receives huge funds from the world over, including grants from the Bill Gates Foundation.
And this is where the militants come in. They have realised that there is huge money in AIDS and started demanding big haftas or bribes without which they don't let NGOs do any groundwork.
Pressure tactic
Now some militant groups want more money. So they are threatening the Manipur AIDS Control Society as a pressure tactic.
''You know these are life and death problems. What they actually want right now is to increase their percentage from the things they have already received from the MACS,'' said an NGO worker.
Just last month the militants had shut down all drug supplies in the state because the pharma traders and shopkeepers had refused to pay up Rs 1 crore extortion money. And Manipur had slipped into a medical emergency.
Only recently the supplies resumed after insiders say money was finally paid up. Threats like these have become so common that this recent one to the AIDS control Society only meets with a response of resignation.
''I am telling you, truly speaking, any state, wherever in India it may be, everyone is working under pressure. It's a normal phenomenon,'' said S Manikanta, Deputy Director, Manipur AIDS Control Society.
Hope the huge amount of cash flowing into militants' hands is stopped at the earliest.
---------------------------------------
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070025128
