Code Red 9th April 2015 Written Update

Code Red 9th April 2015 Written Episode

2010, NH-2, Uttar Pradesh:
A guy stops his truck in front of a lady (Sona). She is a call girl / from the brothel. The guy is one of her regular clients.

November 2014, Dudhni Village, Badayun, UP:
A doc is checking some patients out in the open. A girl comes running to the doc. My father (Ratan) is very ill. He goes to her house. Ratan’s wife complains to the doc. My husband’s health is deteriorating since past 2 months now. Doc says he is not a God. It is about how a body reciprocates to a medicine. It is not necessary that the result can be seen immediately. Ratan is coughing badly. His wife cries. What if something happens to him? Who will run this house then? Doc tells her to go to a city to get her husband treated if she does not trust his knowledge. He leaves.

Dr. Devendra Hospital, Ambiapur, UP:
Ratan has AIDS (advanced stage). Body loses the strength to fight with such diseases. Ratan wonders how this can happen to him. Doc tells him about all the positive symptoms. I suggest you to get your family members checked for this particular test too. Ratan’s wife knew about all his illicit affairs with the call girls. This is the reason of your disease. What will we do now? Ratan doubts his wife. I wonder who all you have made relations with while I was away. Doc calms them. Ratan is not going to live for long now. Take care of him in his last days.

4 hours later:
Doc comes again to check Ratan. He is shocked to know that Ratan has AIDS. He immediately gets up from the cot (where Ratan is lying). Neither was I wrong nor was my medicine. There is no solution for this disease. He walks out of the house.

Doc tells the villagers about Ratan. He even tells them that Ratan’s wife too is infected with it (cooked up story). His kids too will be affected by it sooner or later. The entire village can suffer because of this. this is an incurable disease.

2015, Nayi Aawaz Office, New Delhi:
Kabir’s boss shares a news article with him about an AIDS patient being stoned to death. I want you to go to Badayun to find out all the details. Kabir agrees.

Badayun Police Station, Uttar Pradesh:
Inspector tells Kabir about the lady in the newspaper. She is Phoolan from Dudhani Village. Her husband, Ratan, was a truck driver. They have 3 kids too (Deepak, Sonali and Guddi). As per our investigation, we have find out that Ratan had illegitimate affairs with prostitutes. He got affected by AIDS and then Phoolan too got the disease. The truck drivers stay away from their family for months. It can happen. Phoolan was stoned to death. We have arrested a few people. The investigation is all. The entire village was involved in it. Kabir is surprised.

Kabir reaches Dudhani Village. He asks people about Phoolan’s house but they simply refuse knowing about any lady by that name. He stops at a tea stall to have tea. A kid comes there and begs the vendor for some food. The guy shoos the kid away. He even throws hot water / tea on him. Kabir intervenes. Is this how you behave with a kid? He finds out that this is Phoolan’s kid. The vendor tells him that all the three kids have AIDS. It can happen to us too so we beat them and threw them out of the village. Kabir buys some biscuits and gives it to the kid. The guy is concerned for Kabir but Kabir tells him that he wont get AIDS like this. He leaves with the kid.

Kabir has brought food for the kids. Guddi asks him who he is and why he wants to talk to them. Kabir tells her his name. It is my duty / work to find out the truth and bring it out in open. What happened to you all?

Guddi tells him that her father had AIDS. He blamed her mother for it. Mai (mother) too had AIDS. It became a problem for us when the village people got to know about it.

Flashback: A girl (Neelu) refuses to play with Guddi as she is ill. Phoolan explains that Guddi is perfectly alright. Neelu begins to play when her mother comes there and takes her away. We had become untouchables in our school too. All the kids stand in a far corner when Guddi comes to attend school one day. Her teacher too tells her to sit in a far corner. She obliges. Headmaster ji called my Mai when he found out about the disease. Headmaster tells Phoolan to get the kids admitted in some other school. I understand that it cannot spread by touching but the parents of other students are threatening us that they will get their kids admitted in some other school. We cannot close down our school for 3 kids.

The shopkeepers don’t let Phoolan come near their shop. They even refuse to take money from her thinking that whatever she touches gets infected with that dangerous disease. Father died one day. Phoolan and the kids prepare the bier. They beg people to help them but no one comes forward to help. The kids console their heartbroken mother. She makes up her mind to do everything on her own. The kids help her. Phoolan goes and brings a wooden cart. They keep the bier on it and head towards the graveyard.

People started gossiping against us. Doc is the one who misguides the naive villagers. The sweat of the diseased also causes infection; mosquito bite from the infected person to any random person. People decide to throw Phoolan out of the village along with her kids asap. People gather outside Phoolan’s house. Come out or we will set the house on fire. They even spill kerosene oil around the house. Phoolan and her kids are scared. The pack a few small bags and run out of the house.

Present: We approached our relatives but no one helped us. Our life had become a hell. We started living here henceforth. No one gave any work to Mai. We were hungry. Mai used to bring whatever the villagers used to throw away for the crows / eagles / puja. This is how we survived. We couldn’t even drink water anywhere in the day time. Mai used to quietly go to the well at night and bring water for us. We passed 2-3 months this way. Kabir wants to know what happened next. She tells him that Deepu got high fever one day.

Flashback: Deepu is in real pain because of his ill health. Phoolan goes to get some medicines from the doc. Doc jumps with a start upon noticing her. He tries to shoo her away. She requests him for help. He gives some basic ideas and then runs away. Phoolan rushes back to tend to Deepu. Guddi mistakenly drops the container. Deepu yearns for water so Phoolan goes to bring it. She covers her head and comes to take water from the well. A few ladies notice her. you ruined the well’s water. Phoolan tries to make them understand but in vain. They start attacking her with sticks and stones. Phoolan dies because of one of the wound on her head. Guddi and Sonali had seen the entire incident and cry for their mother.

Present: Our Mai died just because of water. We are living the same way today like she has taught us. Guddi cries badly. Kabir wipes her tears. Everything will be fine now.

Kabir is hurt that a useless doc said so much just to make sure people come to him for help. Are we living in 21st centure? Is this how AIDS spreads? Is this humanity to stone someone to death and throw out a family just because they have AIDS? Sakshi (host) replies that people are still not clear about the symptoms of AIDS and how it spreads. You cannot get infected with AIDS just by sitting near an AIDS patient or by touching him / her. Kabir wonders how to make these villagers understand this fact. Sakshi reasons that he only can give a better life to these kids now. Only you can help them now.

Kabir comes to meet the same doc in the village. He lies to the doc that he has to take his interview. You are doing the check up of the villagers here with very few resources. Doc feels good about it. Kabir asks him about his qualifications. Dr. Pankaj Sharma has done FRCS (not even MBBS). He cannot remember the name of the hospital. Kabir gives him options and he chooses one.

Badayun Police Station:
Kabir tells the Inspector about the doc. He is misguiding people and creating problems. Inspector says no doctor comes in small villages so we depend on these small time docs for help. A compounder or a ward boy becomes a hope for these people. It is good to have such a hope rather than having nothing. I am from Azamgarh. I remember a Vaid there to whom people used to go to whenever people used to fall ill. His medicines worked too. You know that we lack doctors in India anyways. Kabir understands his point but reasons that this doc has not saved anyone’s life but is responsible for someone’s death. You will have to take action against him.

Police arrests Dr. Pankaj. Villagers try to speak in his favour but Inspector calls him a fake doc. He is looting you. he is spreading rumours too. Kabir tells everyone that Phoolan’s kids don’t have AIDS. AIDS cannot spread by touching someone. Those innocent kids were kept away from the society because of this fake doc. Their lives were in danger. This doc should be punished. Police takes the doc away.

Childline Children Foundation, New Delhi:
Kabir gets the kids admitted in the foundation. Guddi thanks Kabir for his help. He tells them all to study hard, become a doc, go to a village and cure people there. Make sure such a story is never repeated. Guddi nods.

A charge sheet has been filed against Pankaj under section 170 (for being a fake doc), section 275, 276, 277 and 278 (for giving wrong medicines to people); and under section 505 (for misguiding people) of IPC. Those who had stoned Phoolan to death were identified. A case has been registered against hem under section 302 of IPC.

On one side, we are heading towards innovation and development; while on the other hand, the basic necessities are still not properly available in the villages. The misconceptions that arise from half information / knowledge are creating problems for people. People have made misunderstandings and fears regarding AIDS. It even makes them create a distance from their acquaintances. Such fake doctors are acting as the real docs in these places in the absence of real docs. Their half knowledge is actually pushing people towards death indirectly. People are creating a scary image of such diseases on their own. Guddi, Sonali and Deepu’s condition is a living example of that. Pankaj got punished. Phoolan’s kids got a place in an orphanage. But there are still many such docs in other villages who pose a threat to people. They should be identities and punished. One incident / one news can do nothing. Every person will have to raise their voice against it.

AIDS cannot be transmitted by merely touching another person. Don’t believe on the rumours spread about it. help those who are affected by it. don’t hate those people. Spread the word about it to as many people as you can so no other family goes through what Phoolan’s family has been through.

SPECIAL THANKS
RK HIV AIDS RESEARCH & CARE CENTER
CONTACT: 022 26606884