Srinagar, Dec 1: The Department of Students Welfare, University of Kashmir in collaboration with Times of India and Modern Hospital organized a seminar “Know AIDS for No AIDS.”
 Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. M A Sofi, talked about various challenges including cultural taboos, poor cooperation between authorities and communities in handling HIV AIDS. He said the problem involving the treatment of this deadly disease had been aggravated on account of a limited access to quality care as well as the limitations of financing illness care in general across the nations. Prof Sofi said, against a background of fewer diagnoses among heterosexuals, infected abroad, the number of gay men diagnosed with HIV in the UK was on a continuous rise. He said, no therapist could ethically ignore the challenge that the AIDS virus had thrust upon us. 
 Stating that a few stark statistics only hint at the tragic dimensions of this disease, Prof Sofi said that half of all gay and bisexual men in the city of San Francisco were infected with the AIDS virus. The situation nearer homes is by no means significantly better and this brings up the moral dimensions of the issue which involves tinkering with or rebelling against nature, something that can and does unleash devastation of startling proportions to the humanity, he said.
 Prof Sofi said, the sheer magnitude of the problem involving HIV AIDS had its genesis in certain zany notion of individual freedom, pioneered chiefly by the modern west, which seeks to give complete legitimacy to such patently unnatural acts as same sex marriages, live-in relationships, homosexuality, lesbianism and more ominously, to incestuous relationships. He said the fact was that the rapid spurt in the spread of this deadly disease is due, in no small measure, to the successful campaign seeking legitimate gay relationships/marriages as a natural relationship between individuals.
 Guest of Honour, former Dean Academic Affairs, Prof. A R Yousuf linked HIV infections with the changes in the environment. “When the environment gets polluted, our minds are also affected and we ultimately reap the returns of our own misdeeds,” he opined. Prof Yousuf said HIV infection in our regional perspective was caused due to waywardness and it would only spread if we digress from the path of righteousness.
 Associate Dean Students Welfare, Dr. Mushtaq A Darzi said the aim of holding these awareness programmes was to make people understand how they can respond positively to this menace and how these patients can be cared about. “We should not segregate these patients  rather handle them with love and care,” he said.
 Assistant Dean Students Welfare, Showkat Shafi said Kashmir University Red Ribbon Club had several programmes regarding HIV/AIDS awareness in pipeline, which would be held soon. A poster making competition on the theme “ know AIDS for  NO AIDS was  held for children and college and university students.
 Dr Nahid Veda from Home sciences Nasir Mirza from MERC, Niyaz Ahmad from public relations centre,  acted as judges for the poster competition the results for which will be declared on December 3 and vice-chancellor Kashmir University, Prof Talat Ahmad will be giving awards to the winners.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 1 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST