Government Minister: 24,000 HIV Cases in Indian Kashmir, Officials Exploiting Women

Politicians and bureaucrats are exploiting women and engaging in "sexual adventurism" in Indian Kashmir, where more than 24,000 people have tested positive for HIV, said Jammu-Kashmir state Health Minister Chaudhary Lal Singh on Wednesday. Singh said people between ages 15 and 49 are most affected by the virus. "The problem of AIDS erupts when sexuality turns humans into beasts. I urge people to remain loyal to their spouses," said cleric Mohammad Shaban in a recent sermon. Some leading Kashmir scholars have been asked to write a book in the state's official language, Urdu, explaining how AIDS is spread and how to prevent it. Singh said the government plans to make AIDS awareness a compulsory part of the school curriculum, and said hospitals would be upgraded to deal with the disease.

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