Indepth Articles
[Mar. 13, 2009]
National Forum Participants
Lucknow, India --- The National Forum meeting of people affected by leprosy recently held their Northern Region Conference in the historic city of Lucknow. The conference was attended by 300 people, including the Health Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh (Shri Anant Kumar Mishra), and Yohei Sasakawa, the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.
The National Forum represents 12 million leprosy affected people throughout India. Dr. P. K. Gopal, head of the National Forum and president of IDEA India also attended the conference with Uday Thakar of Hind Kusht Nivaran Sanghatana, and Dr. Rashmi Shukla, a consultant with the World Health Organization.
The Lucknow conference was organized for the socio-economic empowerment of those affected by leprosy in the ten states of North India, including Uttar Pradesh. There are 57 leprosy centers in different districts of the state. The number of children living in these centers numbers 1,500, and most of the centers have been in existence for about 50 years.
“The living conditions in these centers are most unsatisfactory,” said Mr SK Dutta, president of the National Forum Northern Region and Mr Venu Gopal, General Secretary of the north zone region, in a report to the conference participants.
Mr Yohei Sasakawa and a Forum Participant
“The leprosy affected persons have no sources of income and therefore live on charity donations from the public and rather depend on begging,” they added and requested the government of Uttar Pradesh to provide basic facilities to the centers such as a water supply, toilets, bathrooms, road transportation, other improvements in the housing situation, medicines, financial aid, in additional to general education and technical education for the children in the centers.
More specifically, Mr Dutta and Mr Gopal pointed out the following details of the living problems of people affected by leprosy and appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to assist in solving these deficiencies:
- The land on which the leprosy centers exist is not owned by the centers. It is therefore, requested that the land may kindly be allotted to the respective centers.
- The residents may be provided housing under the late “Shri Kanshi Ram ji Housing Scheme.”
- The leprosy affected persons and their dependents may be granted Ration-Aid-Money at 1000 Rupees per person per month on the lines of the Government aid offered by the Government in Dehli.
- The leprosy affected persons being incapable of earning their livelihood on account of mental and physical condition may be treated as People Below Poverty Line (BPL).
- Electricity may be supplied to each and every family of the leprosy affected persons, free of cost or on subsized rates of 75%.
- The leprosy centers may be provided with basic facilities like – water supply, toilets, bathrooms, road transportation, etc.
- Under the D.P.M.R. Scheme, arrangements for supply of ointments, bandages, medicines, etc, and M.C.R. sleepers footwear may be supplied twice annually.
- Arrangements may kindly be made for education, technical education free of cost to the children of leprosy affected persons, and government service may be provided after they complete their education.
- Under the PWD Act 1995, provision reservation may be provided for the leprosy cured persons for employment in Government departments.
Health Minister Mishra responded in a strongly positive way to these grievances, promising to immediately discuss the requests with the State’s Chief Minister to arrange for a quick response.
Mr Yohei Sasakawa, president of The Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador, also promised his continued support to the National Forum goals of eliminating leprosy and the social stigmas that still exist in society towards people affected by leprosy. He said, “My dream is to see a leprosy-free world. By this I mean a world not only free from leprosy, but free from social discrimation.”
But, he emphasized the need for members of the Forum to make their voices heard, otherwise, society won’t change. He said: “You are the main actors in the fight ! Be confident of what you can achieve. Grow strong and confront injustice. For your own sakes, and for your children’s sakes, reclaim your dignity as human beings.”
Sasakawa’s final words to the National Forum participants were: “Today let us take another step toward realizing a leprosy free world. We are embarked on a momentous journey, and one day we shall reach our destination.
Afterwards, staff of the Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (SILF) headed by Executive Director Vineeta Shanker presented 10 grants to candidates chosen by SILF's selection committee for projects to improve the lives of the people in leprosy centers.