Participants at a programme held by the Centre for Family Initiative to mark World AIDS Day. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey

Jamshedpur, Dec. 1: Microsoft chief Bill Gates’ fund for AIDS control took most of the time of the three-member team that was answering queries lobbed by members of the Students’ Debate Society (SDS). The members wanted to know how the astronomical sum promised by Gates to the country, during his recent visit, is going to be spent. It was a relevant query on the World AIDS Day today.

Around 60-odd students, who had assembled for the question and answer session asked several questions but focused more on Gates' fund for AIDS.

They, apparently, had very little idea about the end-use of the fund. Apart from seeking answers on different AIDS-related aspects, the students also sought additional details on the killer disease.

The city also witnessed two other major AIDS awareness events—the Core Group — AIDS, a Tata Steel organised roadshow on AIDS prevention and another by the Rashmi Path Counselling Centre (RPCC), a wing of the All-India Women’s Conference (AIWC), came out with an awareness rally in which school students participated.

While Purshottam Trivedi of SDS Sakchi centre wanted to know what concrete steps had been taken to make truck drivers aware of the darker side of the disease, Anamika Kumari was interest in the efforts to educate migrant labourers who are to a great extent responsible for spreading AIDS.

H.K. Gardin of Core Group—AIDS explained that funds to be provided by Gates was meant for education and enhancing the awareness level of migrant workers.

Students also wanted to know about the financial grants by the United Nations towards controlling the rising level of AIDS in the Third World countries. A.C. Akhouri, a doctor with the MGM Government College and Hospital spoke on the ways to prevent AIDS. G.S. Kumar of Centre for Family Initiatives, Tata Steel, also answered most of the questions.

Even as this event reached halfway, a small truck, carrying volunteers of the Core Group — AIDS arrived near the Sakchi roundabout. Some volunteers distributed pamphlets mentioning the dos and don’ts about AIDS while others, including a woman, sang songs about the disease.

The volunteers also staged a street corner play, which was part of the roadshow held in as many as nine different places across the city.

Students of the Jamshedpur Public School, DBMS, Prem Jyoti Prangan and New Baridih High School along with members of Rashmi Path Counselling Centre organised an awareness rally at Bistupur.

According to Sunita Singh, convenor of RPCC, the idea behind the rally was to educate the people about AIDS.

Members of the city unit of Navjyoti, a wing of the Delhi Police Foundation begun with the initiative of Kiran Bedi, also visited the Sakchi sub-divisional jail and distributed handbills on AIDS among the inmates.

Shakti Sharma, chief, social services, Tata Steel, was the chief guest on the occasion.