Monday this week may have been like any other Monday for most of us, an irritable, grumpy sort of day like all days after a holiday, but one seven-year-old boy in 24 Parganas, West Bengal went back to school with a big smile on his face. It was his first day of school after a forced five-month ‘leave of absence’.
Just five months ago, he was banned from entering his school after news of him being HIV+ spread and around hundred parents signed a petition to kick him out. His family was also shunned and his grandmother, who teaches Bengali in the same school, was forced to undergo an HIV test to prove she’s not infected, reported the Indian Express.
There’s all kinds of intolerance abuzz in the country, not just religious, or gender related. Sometimes it’s about an affliction that one may carry, even if it involves an innocent seven-year-old boy.
When his infection was first detected, his mother was straightforward enough to inform the school authorities about it to ensure that precautions were taken by the authorities to protect her son and other pupils. But, soon after, this confidential information leaked out, and other parents gathered to sign a petition against him. Though the school has claimed that they never ‘formally’ asked the boy to leave, he attended his last class on June 26.
The decision to allow the boy back into the school came after State Women and Child Development Minister Sashi Panja ordered the local administration to ensure that the boy returns to his studies. Consequently, officials held a meeting with the school authorities and parents on Saturday and most of them agreed to allow the child back in the school.
“The larger problem is awareness. This can only be solved through conversation and ensuring that people know about HIV,” the minister said.
Although too young to understand what was happening all the while, the boy missed his school. “I don’t like missing school and being away from my friends. My grandmother and my mother were also very sad. I don’t like that. I like studying and playing,” he told Express on Monday.
It may feel like the end of an unwanted holiday for the boy, but for his family, it was a victory against all odds, although his mother still has other apprehensions. “My main worry is whether the other children in the class will accept him. For five months, they have been hearing what their parents are saying and it won’t change in a day. But I am glad that he is back in school. It is a victory for not just me, but also everyone else who is battling HIV,” said the mother, who joined an NGO called SNP+, which spreads awareness about HIV. She received a rather frosty reception from other parents when she went to drop off her son at school, some of whom once chatted regularly with her.
“It was like I was an outcast. I don’t mind though. As long as my child is not treated in the same way,” she added.
The school’s headmaster, Sanjib Naskar, said: “We will ensure that his needs are taken care of and he doesn’t face any issues. This is a day of great joy for us that he is back with us. He is a very bright pupil and the classroom wasn’t the same without him.”
The positive aspect here was the sensitive manner in which the government dealt with the issue. It’s an assurance that administrations have vastly improved when it comes to handling issues like this.
