This year's World AIDS Day may be over, but thankfully the campaign againstAIDS continues. On December 7, the Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi Foundation(RBGM Foundation), set up by the Modicare, brought together 250 opinionmakers of the country to elicit their commitment to take on the greatestchallenge of the millennium: to fight AIDS.Among those present to give support to the Modis were sarod maestro AmjadAli Khan, Delhi Chief minister Shiela Dixit and American ambassador RichardCeleste.
K K Modi of the Modi group said that the foundation was set up to give backto the society what they got from it. "We wanted to get the pleasure ofworking for the society, therefore, we started the foundation."
Shabana Azmi expressed her anguish and concern at the state of AlDSawareness in the country. She said, "We need better awarenessto control this disease. Public needs to treat AIDS infected people withlove, respect and compassion."
She added that she was appalled by the fact that the "AIR and Doordarshancharge commercial rates even for the health ministry's public interestmessages.'' Emphasising the need to disseminate information to students, sheeven demanded a legislation to that effect.
The Delhi chief minister lauded the efforts of the RBGM Foundation and addedthat the government needs support from the corporate sector. "Apart fromspreading awareness, foundations like these should help the affected peoplepay for medication as most of them cannot afford it." Expressing hisinability to foot the bill, Samir Modi, vice-chairman of RBGM Foundation,said: "Extending financial help is not possible at the present. Right now wewill have only awareness campaigns, and counselling sessions.'' He addedthat one per cent of the total sales of Modicare would go towards the RBGMfoundation. Refusing to divulge the figures, he added: "It does not matterwhether it is Rs 10 crore or 100 crore but surely it would help change theattitude of the society towards AIDS."
Brushing aside apprehensions that Modicare is being pushed in the garb ofsocial responsibility, he said, "No, not at all, this is a small step butour aims and objectives are clear. If it were to promote Modicare, then thefoundation would be called Modicare Foundation and not RBGM Foundation."
The RBGM Foundation plans to work exclusively towards creating the AIDSawareness at present. "Presently our focus would be to create awareness insociety so that it does not shun AIDS-affected people," reiterated Modi.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.