KATHMANDU: Eight days after HIV/AIDS infected children living under the protection of Lekhnath based Akura Care Village, Kaski, were expelled from their school, government and non-government bodies have expressed their solidarity to fight the social scourge.

The children - Ghanashyam, 8, Manisha, 6, and Aliza, 4, - are now at home. Ghanashyam and Manisha are HIV-positive while Aliza is free of the disease.The report was exclusively disseminated by The Himalayan Times. At an interaction programme organised by Conscious Media Forum here Tuesday, Ram Prabesh Yadav, joint-secretary at Ministry of Education, condemned the expulsion of HIV-AIDS kids from Begnas-based Shree Diamond Boarding School only four days after their enrolment.

"The ministry is ready to send these children back to school", he said adding that the government would not leave a single stone unturned to achieve the goal of Education For All (EFA) set by Millennium Development Goals in 2000. He claimed that the government was pushing ahead with fair educational programmes, irrespective of sex, social background, income, race and ethnicity among many others.

Murari Kharel, deputy director at National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that its Kashki-based office was issued directives to thoroughly investigate into the incident as a part of the response to the expulsion of innocent children from the school. "We are holding consultations with District Administration Office to find out the ground reality", he said.

Laxmiraj Pathak, director at HIV/AIDS and STD Control Board stated that it was a matter of shame for Nepali intellectuals and authorities concerned to remain mute spectators at the plight of children only because they are infected with a virus. "It is high time to fight the scourge", he remarked. Mira Kunwar, vice-president at Shakti Milan Samaj, a local NGO defending the rights of HIV-AIDS infected persons, said that Nepal's fight against the disease was being undermined by ignorance and prejudice. "We failed to persuade schools to take in the infected children and were forced to bear the cost of their education elsewhere".

Rajeev Kafle, an HIV/AIDS infected and president at National Association of People Living with AIDS said no child should be thrown out of a school. "It is against the national and international laws and convention to expel HIV/AIDS infected kids. There is no reason for them not to be in school. There is no evidence anywhere in the world that a child, even playing in a playground and reading in a classroom, can infect other children ", he said.