There were red roses all over the ground. Red they say is the color Tof love and life. Color of blood. “Bhaiya ek rupai,” “ek rupai bhaiya,” and a hand, thinnest of its kind as though no blood existed in the space between bone and skin, furrowed and unattractive shook my shoulder and killed my red dream. My eyes explored slowly into the eyes of this dreadful child, about six years old, carrying a dirty piece of cloth below his waist and compartment. “These boys are very chaloo you know,” gasped the 'touched' man. “They carry needles and try stunts of pricking into passengers, I've heard many a stories of that sort,” he added. “You mean they carry HIV?” asked another. “I remember reading an incident in a paper.” “Yes,” he concluded. I was perplexed. I had earlier only known of them as poor children or orphans, and sometimes of stealing passengers' belongings as well. But this side of the coin was utterly new to me. As the two went on convincing each other about the child's disease, I felt very strongly from within to move up to the child and know the 'real'. He had almost reached the last compartment. I quickly followed and stopped him. “Bhaiya ek rupai,” he uttered with great difficulty, looking into my eyes then down on the floor. “I'll give you a rupee only if you tell me something”, I said. “Something very easy about yourself.” “What's your name?, Where are you from?” “Aslam, Vijaywada.” “And where are your parents?” “I don't have a father, my mum lives in a slum in Vijaywada.” “Then does she not send you to school?” “No.” “So does she know you beg in trains?” “No. But I've to do this because she cannot go out for work. She is ill.” “Bhaiya, I've to get down. The next stop is Vijaywada. Please give me some money.” I quickly took a ten rupees note and placed in his palm. “Thank you bhaiya,” he clutched his hands and greeted. As the train entered the station I saw many other children running into the platform with the slowing train. Together we stepped down. Small boys, as many as twenty, almost similar in look, size, shape and in broom, shouting something in their local dialect, halted to greet this boy. I tried to stop and get to know more about him. But the previously shown color of plea and innocence gradually turned into aggression. “Don't touch us. We have AIDS!” I don't remember much about the rest of the journey and the jam. As soon as I reached home, I went to an internet café to get some information on these kids. What I learnt then like a weapon hit my being as hard as a quake, the tremors of which I felt must touch others as well only then can something good be done for them. Statistics say there are about 80 million children out of school in India, of which more than four million, work as child labourers or remain destitute. Of the 25 million children born every year, two million die even before they celebrate their first birthday. In addition, one in every three newly born children is underweight. Nevertheless, there are over 75 million malnourished children below the age of 5 years in the transforming country of India. But the real shock was still waiting to hit. The first case of HIV appeared in India in Tamil Nadu in 1986. Realizing the seriousness of this fatal epidemic, the Indian Government set up the National AIDS Control Organization [NACO] in 1987. Twenty years later, the total number of cases has reached 1, 24,995 according to the NACO Report dated 31 August 2006. Today, the total count of affected children alone reaches 1.2 million. When NACO declared that 60,000 newly born children in India were infected with HIV in 2005, a shocking signal of a growth rate of almost 50 percent a year was detected. Looked at critically, of the 27 million children born in India every year, around 80,000 are infected with HIV, reports the Population Council of India. With 90 percent HIV cases reported from the age-group 15-49 years, the productive age-group, it is definitely a matter of the most serious concern. Also, out of the estimated adults living with HIV, 38.4% were females and 57% lived in rural India. “The truth is, of the estimated 5.7 million people infected with HIV in the country (UNAIDS, 2006), little is known about the number of children infected with or vulnerable to the virus,” reports Sarah Hiddleston, in Frontline [June 17, 2006]. An added tragedy to the growing AIDS pandemic is the children infected with HIV and the thousands of others who will be orphaned when their mothers die from AIDS. This is particularly causing anxiety to the millions of children born to the prostitutes whose father's identity is not known, quotes a report in the book, 'NGOs in India: A Cross-sectional Study'. Thus, of all HIV affected children, the worst is the life the 'HIV-AIDS orphans'. The Week, a national newsmagazine explored into the topic of HIV-AIDS Orphans as covered story in its May 20, 2007 issue. In it, a World Bank official quoted, “Number of children orphaned by AIDS in India is approaching 2 million. This number far exceeds that of any of the African nations”. May 7 is thus celebrated every year as 'World AIDS Orphans Day'. With the rising threat of AIDS, the Indian government has carefully planned and begun to act seriously to control the explosion of this epidemic. NACO, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, promotes HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities into the ongoing governmental programs of the government. In action, 8 government hospitals for AIDS patients in 2004 have seen a rise to 127 in 2007. It looks forward to set up another 123 hospitals by the year 2012. While reports also say there are more than 2, 50,000 'infected children' and over 2 million 'affected children' live either in community homes, railway platforms or on the streets. Thus, the control programs designed by NACO, now aimed for all, must be revised to accommodate ideas and implementations which would be of direct and adequate benefit to the children in particular. Plausibly, care and concern must be given to such children right from birth respecting their 'Right to Live'. Child care centres, schools, hospitals, etc. must be set up by the government to house these innocent children and help them live a dignified life like other children. “The vulnerability that HIV affected children faces sets in long before they are orphaned. They bear the brunt of ill health, which includes the loss of productivity, inability to attend school and high costs of medical treatment. Such children, they said, are more than likely to be abused and exploited and suffer also from not having their psychosocial needs adequately met”, reads a report by the UNICEF [United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund] on HIV affected children in India. What is also known is that only 10 percent infectants are actually aware of their status. While HIV is the virus, AIDS is the last or the fatal stage. UNICEF's project called “For every child Health, Education, Equality, Protection” says, “Less than one quarter of young people have accurate information on how to protect themselves from HIV which, coupled with profound gender inequalities, make change in sexual attitudes and practices very difficult. It is estimated that there are 200 million young people in high prevalence and vulnerable districts in need of access to information, skills and services to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.” Primary prevention is seen as the prime crusader that can change the realm of this epidemic called AIDS. Adolescent Education Programme conceived by UNICEF, NACO, Ministry of Education, UNESCO and UNFPA, introduced 'Special Courses' for high school children on life skills and preventive messages, and is being implemented across the country. “A simple anti-retroviral [ARV] drug administered to the mother during labour and a spoonful of syrup to the baby soon after birth can prevent transmission of the AIDS virus to the newborn,” reads one of its messages.