School's confines children bit their children they could get AIDS.

School's confines

Ujwala Lawate, managing trustee of the Gokul school, says it was "born out of the social rejection of these children".

"Some of them were sent from government remand homes, some we picked up from villages and some were brought in by their families," she said.

The residential school, the size of half a football field, has students ranging from two to 16 years.

"Villagers threatened us. They said our children were a risk," Ms Lawate said.

"In fact they said if our children bit their children they could get AIDS."

The locals relented after government health workers intervened and promised to keep the children within the confines of the school's high walls.

Institutionalising stigma

Ms Lawate says her school is an effort to provide dignity and purpose to the lives of HIV-infected children, but she has critics as well.

Meena Sheshu is from the state-based anti-AIDS group "Sangram", which opposes Ms Lawate's efforts.

"Instead of separate schools we should fight for equal rights of an HIV/AIDS child," she said.

"No child should be thrown out of a school. But a separate school only institutionalises the stigma and discrimination."

The Government's stand is ambiguous. It provides financial aid to schools such as Gokul and says no school should turn away any student, but at the same time the Government has yet to ban discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS.

Ms Lawate says her critics are ignoring the "practical problems".

"While we debate what is right and wrong, children are being discriminated against," she says as groups of smiling students jostle around her, their "kaki" or aunt.

"What would happen if these 53 children were not here? Maybe they would just be lying sick somewhere by the streets and waiting to die."