Villagers boycott HIV person's family in West Bengal

Kolkata, July 1 (ANI): Residents of a village in Coochbehar district of West Bengal have ostracised a family after discovering that one of its members was infected with the deadly HIV virus.

Ranjan Burman had been to Kerala four years back for work with his friend, but after some time he started suffering from fever and other health disorders on a frequent basis.

It was only after proper check ups that diagnosis revealed that Ranjan was infected with HIV. Later on it was discovered that his wife and one-year-old child also bore the same symptoms.

As the word spread across neighbourhood, they started ignoring them and soon the whole village started boycotting their family.

"Villagers have stopped visiting us and they don't even talk to us now. My childhood friends no more come to meet me. I do feel low but what can I do?" said Ranjan Burman.

"He (Ranjan) was discovered HIV positive and so the villagers started avoiding going to his place. But even after knowing the same I went to his house for a day or two, as he is my friend. But when I came to know that the disease is transmissible, I fear going to his place now," said Sarat Burman, Ranjan's friend. (ANI)