Department of Students
Welfare, University of Kashmir in collaboration with Times of India and Modern Hospital Srinagar organized a day - long seminar on “Know AIDS for No AIDS” as part of the commemoration of the World AIDS Day, celebrated today all over the globe. Speaking on the occasion Prof. M A Sofi, Acting Vice Chancellor of the Universitytalked about the various challenges including cultural taboos, poor cooperation between authorities and communitiesin handling HIV AIDS. He said that the problem involving the treatment of this deadly disease has 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 that against a background of fewer diagnoses among heterosexuals, infected abroad, the number of gay men diagnosed with HIV in the UK is on a continuous rise. He said that no therapist can ethically ignore the challenge that the AIDS virus has thrust upon us. Saying that a few stark statistics only hint at the tragic dimensions of this disease Prof Sofi informed that that half of all gay and bisexual men in the city of San Francisco are 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 that this has already been seen to be the case, for example with the issue of global warming or climate change which has been a direct result of impunity with which man has sought to plunder an destroy natural resources to satisfy his insatiable greed for material wealth and well being.
Drawing similarities Prof. Sofi said that in a similar vein, the sheer magnitude of the problem involving HIV AIDS has 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 that the fact is 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 on the occasion Prof. A R Yousuf, former Dean Academic Affairs 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 that HIV infection in our regional perspective is caused due to waywardness and It will only spread if we digress from the path of righteousness.Earlier while welcome address the Associate Dean Students Welfare, Dr. Mushtaq
A Darzi said the aim of holdinf these awareness programmes is 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.
Showkat Shafi, Asstt. Dean Students Welfare who shared the dice with the dignitaries also spoke on the occasion and said that Kashmir university red ribbon club has several programmes regarding HIV/AIDS awareness in pipeline which will come up soon.
Coordinator Red ribbon club shahid Ali khan also spoke on the occasion and talked about the activities of his club. 2 technical sessions with Dr. Mushtaq Ali Siddiqqui, and Dr. Imtiyaz Ali were held who through power point presentation made the audience awareness about the HIV AIDS.
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 3rd of this month and vice chancellor Kashmir University
Prof Talat Ahmad will be giving awards to the wining participants.
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