Darbhanga: People of a village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district refused to cremate a man who died of AIDS there. His wife was forced to do the last rites all alone.
This woman in white sari has just gone through unimaginable trauma. She has cremated her husband in the courtyard of her house all by herself.
Asha's husband Shailendra died of AIDS. And as there was no one to help her carry the body to the public crematorium, she dragged him to the courtyard, and cremated him.
“No body came forward to help me. I had to do everything on my own, ” says Asha Devi, wife of Shailendra.
The villagers refused to help in the cremation for the fear that they might contract the virus.
Gajendra Singh, villager said, “People said he is suffering from AIDS so stay away from him".
"He was not of a good character. That’s why we were reluctant to help her, " Says Urmila Devi another villager.
This is the reality of a state where NGOs and government agencies spend hundreds of crore every year to spread AIDS awareness.
Asha's tale of misery shows awareness so far has failed to spread to all sections of society.
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