Driving a truck on a highway, was his boyhood dream. And Aman Sethi did take the drive from Siliguri to Bihar in a Tata 2516. The drive was memorable too, only in a different way. How? He recounts just that in AIDS Sutra, a book launched by Random House, in the City.   Aman's was not just another road trip. The ride was taken to document the relationship between truck drivers and sex workers, and giving him inputs were driver Sanjay and his 19-year-old help, Kamlesh. "There being not much of a difference in our ages, it was easy to build a rapport with them and collect information over beedis and drinks. There were no hidden cameras and the idea was totally participatory," says Aman.

He reads an excerpt from his contribution, where Sanjay talks of his only forced encounter with a sex worker and why he chose her over a bottle of desi. He continues with why he selected this route and topic. "I was told that on this route the activity was high. Also me being comfortable with Hindi was another reason. And, I wanted to see the North East! About the topic, well, say trucks and it is strikes or accidents that comes to one’s mind. Just thought this was an opportunity that would help me get a different perspective."

Aman also spoke of the awareness levels among the truck drivers. "Most organisations involve peer educators in awareness campaigns. The time of the campaign also matters. Clinics are also set up on major truck routes," he says.

At this point, Akai who has been featured in the book, and Rex  want to know, how this book is going to help those who are affected. "If you are addressing the section that thinks they can't be plagued by the epidemic, will they understand," they ask.

 "The book is more than mere statistics. Fifteen accomplished writers and I have tried to put a human face to the epidemic and give a voice to those living with problem. The book aims at garnering the attention of  policy makers, and encourage a new way of looking at the problem. AIDS Sutra is a good resource for journalists and researchers looking at the problem too," he responds.

 The anthology includes works by Salman Rushdie, Siddhartha Deb, Kiran Desai, Vikram Seth, Shobhaa De, Jaspreet Singh, William Dalrymple and Ambai among others. For each book purchased, Rs 80 will go to support the children affected with HIV/AIDS in high prevalence cities. The fund is managed by Avahan, an initiative of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
SIL