Activist 'grooms' 25 youth to take HIV test

Sanjay Pendse / TNN / Jan 2, 2006, 02:35 IST

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Setting an example for youngsters, 25 youths from the Gopi chawl slum in Khadki underwent HIV tests last week.

Activist 'grooms' 25 youth to take HIV test

PUNE: Setting an example for youngsters, 25 youths from the Gopi chawl slum in Khadki underwent HIV tests last week. Six of them are getting married soon and two of them have convinced their brides to take the test too.
The rest have married recently. The credit for starting the trend in a low-income pocket like Gopi chawl goes to young activist Fakruddin Tamboli, who exchanged HIV certificates with his bride in April last.
Interestingly, Fakruddin is himself a semi-literate parking lot operator, but has inherited his zeal from his father, Rahman Tamboli, who is a union leader.
Although TOI and news channels highlighted his story last year, Fakruddin found it difficult to convince more than five youths to go in for the HIV test before matrimony. Last week, however, he was able to convince 20 more.

"Many of these boys are uneducated, non-matriculates, working as masons, hawkers and labourers. There are Hindus, Muslims, neo-Buddhists. It was difficult convincing the more literate ones because they are more educated than me.
I told them it is important to undergo the test to save their spouse and children from AIDS," says Tamboli.
Local NCP leader Bhushan Salve, who is celebrating his birthday on January 1, agreed to do the test and others gained in confidence. They were supported by the Yashwantrao Chavan memorial hospital, where the tests were conducted for just Rs 10 per person.

The slum-dwellers felicitated all the 25 youngsters on the occasion of Salve's birthday on Sunday.
A middle-aged man also went in for the test. Mehboob Sayyed, a graduate, who went in for an inter-community marriage with his college sweetheart recently, also got her to do the test. "I cited Fakrubhai's example," he said.
Asked about the toughest part, Fakruddin says, "Many of them ask me, 'What if I find out I am HIV-positive? I tell them not to worry for 10 to 15 years as medicines are available. And, by that time, a remedy would come by," says.

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