Dear FORUM,

It has been shocking how the FM Radio in Orissa treats social issues and social
causes undertaken by NGOs and CBOs.

Institute for Development Programme & Research (idpr) is the lead member of the
consortium ODISHA-One, an eighteen CBO/NGO consortium which is addressing stigma
and discrimination in SRH and HIV/AIDS.

The consortium has a free telephone SpARSHHA (Speaking About Reproductive Sexual
Health & HIV/AIDS). This is one helpline which is
purely working through its own funds and being manned by a dedicated group of
volunteers from the vulnerable/marginalized groups (IDUs, MSMs, PLHIV).

The consortium wanted to ensure that this telephone helpline is publicized in
the various FM channels which are so popular in the thirty districts of Orissa.

However during the meeting of Sudeshna Satpathy, Director and in
charge of the helpline with Mr. Binod Banerjee, Head, "big927FM.com, Mr.
Banerjee was arrogant and presumptuous enough to declare that all NGOs in Orissa
are cheats and only Lions Club and Rotary Club are honest organizations and they
would prefer working with these two organizations, and further declared that the
FM's reach is to eleven districts and with cheap publicity the NGOs are trying
gather funds for their own benefit.

What was shocking that Mr. Banerjee did not have the patience to hear out what
Ms. Sudeshna Satpathy had to say, and rudely dismissed her from his room.

Ms. Sudeshna Satpathy is a XIMB graduate who is a dedicated social activist and
has been working with a lot of dedication against stigma and discrimination in
the field of HIV/AIDS and is currently trying to
strengthen the free telephone helpline the first of its kind which is being
manned by the CBOs and dedicated to answering queries on reproductive and sexual
health and HIV/AIDS and strengthening linkages to service delivery.

Ajay Patra,

President,

Kalinga Network of Positive People, Bhubaneswar.

"Kalinga Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Orissa KNP+"
e-mail: <knpplusorissa@...>