Kozhikode: Akshara wins, will return to her college

Kozhikode: Finally, Akshara, 20, would return to the hostel and continue her studies in the Wadi Huda Institute of Research and Advanced Studies, Kannur,  on Thursday.

The girl who had revealed her HIV-positive status to friends was forced to vacate the hostel room and keep off  studies following protests from other students.

Akshara told DC that she was  happy that her friends had changed their minds and the institution was  ready to take her back.  

Earlier, Akshara,  a first-year BA student of psychology at the institution,  was  asked by the college authorities to vacate the hostel as  two students had left after learning of the HIV positive status of Akshara. She had to skip classes since February 26.

“It was due to the sincere efforts of the district collector that I was reinstated,” Akshara said. “I was  informed by the hostel  authorities today of their willingness to take me back,” she added. Kannur district collector P. Balakiran had intervened in the issue on Saturday and convinced the authorities and students on the need to  take back Akshara.

In 2003, Akshara, then 8, and her brother Ananthu, 6, had tested positive. Their father Shaji,  after contracting HIV through a blood transfusion, died 2004. The plight of the children was  widely reported when the duo were denied entry in the lower primary school at Kottiyoor, Kannur. Later after the intervention of the education department,  both students were allotted a separate room and a separate teacher. Akshara said that she did not want to keep her plight a secret.

The collector told DC that he was about the outcome of the discussions and awareness sessions conducted during the last few days. “They had asked me several doubts and I cleared them. Now it is over and Akshara will resume her studies tomorrow,”  he added.