HIV+ hero battles on; joins crusade against polio

Mehar says: "For me, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) means VIH (Very Important Human being). Nothing is impossible in life. I have been appointed as an outreach worker who is supposed to counsel HIV+ and AIDS patients at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital. But I helped Jagraon Senior Medical Officer Hari Krishan Singla for administering polio drops to children. It’s all thanks to him."

For some hours he did his duty in the emergency ward of the hospital and adminstered polio drops to about 22 children there who came along with their parents. Mehar Singh who is president of the Punjab Networking of Positive People, a Non Government Organization, said, "I also went to jhuggies where other people were reluctant to go and administered polio drops to about 200 children. At the end of the day I felt very nice after this noble job."

Expressing his happiness, Jagjit Singh Mann, founder of this NGO, said, "Mehar Singh really set an example for other HIV+ people with today’s work. I am glad that he has the spirit to do something unique."

Forty years old Mehar Singh was selected as outreach worker along with six other HIV positive people in Ludhiana district. He lost his first wife in the year 2000. Mehar Singh said, "I have two daughters from my first marriage. Bowing down to pressure of my parents I remarried, but unfortunately got this infection (HIV positive) from my second wife. She died due to AIDS. Now I am bringing up my two daughters along with my parents. But my daughters are safe and studying in a school. I want to make them good human beings."