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HIV-infected man condemned after death

Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Lack of awareness and superstition that closely trail the killer Aids have unfolded, perhaps in the most obnoxious manner, in a remote Orissa village.

As in life, the death of 54-year-old Rajendra (name changed) was horrifying with the superstition-driven residents of Brahmanasahi hamlet in Kendrapara district disallowing cremation of the body. The fear-stricken villagers assumed that the smoke billowing from the flame would leave them virus-infected.

The victim was literally leading a caged life after he was diagnosed with Aids. The society, that included his near and dear ones, maintained a safe distance from him until he breathed his last on Friday night. What followed next is a simmering row over performance of the victim’s last rites. The deceased’s relatives were summoned by village seniors and were told of the majority view on the burial of the body. They said cremation of the deceased would vitiate the air and spread the virus from the mortal remains. They ordered that the body be buried.

The reluctant pallbearers, that included deceased’s brother, wore surgical gloves as a safety measure. The victim was given a decent burial as a motley crowd assembled at the site more out of curiosity to witness his final journey.

"The bizarre turn of the event demonstrates how the unfounded belief of this nature has proved to be as dangerous as the dreaded disease," said Surendranath Prusty, an Aids awareness volunteer. The occurrences of this nature have come to light on quite a few occasions in the past, posing serious questions over Aids-eradication awareness campaigns set in motion in this part of the state from time to time.

The coastal and southern pockets of the state witness large-scale job-searching migration to endemic areas.

The campaign to educate people on ill-conceived dogmatic belief about the killer disease has apparently not met with great success, as villagers in the remote corners are found unduly scared of detection of HIV cases.

"They never buy the theory propounded by the campaigners and distance themselves from the victim. Even the family members are no exception to the practice," said physician Ashok Acharya.

However, it’s not the same in urban pockets, he added.