This woman’s indomitable spirit amazed Dr Kalam

Mysuru: Shillong, 2006. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, then India’s President was in the north-eastern city to conduct an interactive session and called up a HIV positive woman in Bengaluru. She had amazed him with her grit and determination while fighting the disease and he now wanted her permission to quote her example during his Shillong session.

She immediately agreed and Dr Kalam went on to quote her example on several other occasions too. He even mentioned her as one of his eight role models in his book, Indomitable Spirit.

Asha Ramaiah has now successfully battled the disease for 21 long years. Married to HIV infected Elango Ramachandra, she is blessed with a 14 year old son who is free from HIV as she had taken precautions to prevent ‘Parent to Child Transmission’ of the virus.

Asha who once struggled to speak English, now knows four languages. She has been counseling scores of HIV infected people and has visited seven countries abroad conducting workshops and training programmes as a consultant.

Born into an orthodox family-the eldest of three daughters- Asha’s life changed when her husband was diagnosed as HIV positive. Her in-laws suspecting her fidelity and blaming her for their son’s illness, threw her out. She moved back to her parents’ place to start life afresh. Later she realised she was HIV positive and told her parents about her disease. She was asked to leave the house but joined an NGO, where her life took a drastic turn after she met Elango.

Founder member of Karnataka Network for People Living with HIV and AIDS, Asha met Dr  Kalam at the Leadership CII in 2006. He had posed two questions to the gathering, “What I have learnt so far in my life? What I will be remembered for?”.

She mailed her answers to Dr Kalam. Next day she was surprised to hear from a friend that her photo had appeared on Dr Kalam’s website. And soon, she was thrilled to hear his voice seeking her permission to quote her as an example. Ironically, it was Shillong where Dr Kalam, nine years later breathed his last.