Citing Mahatma, President calls for care towards leprosy patients
Emphasising the need for being more sensitive and caring towards leprosy patients, President Ram Nath Kovind on said Sunday that one should behave with such people as is done with normal human beings.
“Many people in the country still feel leprosy is a curse which results from past sins. They do not realise that it is like any other disease,” Kovind said addressing the silver jubilee function of Divya Prem Sewa Mission social organisation at Chandighat in Haridwar.
“Mahatma Gandhi in 1932, while being in Yeriwada prison during the freedom movement, had written a letter to a leprosyaffected friend that it’s human body which gets affected with disease not soul. After coming out of the prison, Gandhiji had also taken care of the his leprosy-affected friend,” he said.
“Similarly, Swami Vivekanand also remained active to serve the leprosy patients,” the President said.
He said the constitution has put an end to caste and religion-based untouchability post Independence, but an attitude of mental untouchability towards lepers still persists in India.
Twenty-five years back, Kovind was also a founding member of the Divya Sewa Prem Mission which works for providing health care and livelihood to leprosy-affected people, and also free education to their children.
Referring to the recent according of Padma Shree award to Swami Shivanand, who is also involved with leprosy patients’ welfare for past 50 years in Jagaanatahpuri and nearby places, President Kovind said, “It’s a privilege and immense satisfaction to honour and be associated with such persons who work for the uplift of the deprived sections of the society.”
Citing the stigma associated with leprosy-affected patients, the President said that removal of Leprosy Act 1890 and inclusion of such patients in the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, enacted in 2016, has benefited the affected people.
Lauding Divya Sewa Prem Mission founder Ashish Gautam’s contribution to society and in particular for welfare of leprosy-affected people, Kovind said, “25 years back a small sapling was planted which has now taken form of a tree.” Linking his association with Haridwar, the President said that he first got opportunity to visit Haridwar when he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. Later after becoming the President, he paid visit to Haridwar and last year too got opportunity to visit Gayatri Teerth Shantikunj and Patanjali Yogpeeth.
“Land of Uttarakhand is a sacred place where since ancient times people hav been arriving in search of religious and spiritual solace. Haridwar is a revered place of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The sacred Ganga is testimony to this. The land provides salvation with revered Char Dham shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri ,Badrinath and Kedarnath being in Uttarakhand, “said President Kovind.
“A person afflicted with leprosy should be accepted as an integral part of the family and society like a person affected by any other disease. Only by doing so, we can call our society and nation a sensitive society and nation,” Kovind said.
The President said that psychological rehabilitation of leprosy-afflicted people is as important as their physical treatment. The Parliament has passed the ‘Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act – 2016’ under which the Indian Lepers Act 1898 has been repealed and discrimination against people afflicted by leprosy has been legally abolished. Persons cured from leprosy have also been included in the list of beneficiaries in the 2016 Act.
The President said that Mahatma Gandhi, during his life dedicated to the service of humanity, used to treat and take care of leprosy patients. According to Gandhiji, the best way to know oneself is to dedicate oneself in the service of mankind. “He believed that leprosy is also a disease like cholera and plague which can be treated. Therefore, those who consider its patients inferior are the actual patients. Gandhiji’s message is relevant even today.”
The President said, “The youth of our country can contribute to clearing misconceptions related to leprosy among the people. They can spread awareness among the people about the treatment of this disease through organisations like NSS.”
He urged the youth to take inspiration from examples of serving the leprosy afflicted people and also give their active contribution in eradication of social stigma associated with leprosy.
Utarakhand Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh said serving the poor and the sick is the highest form of religion. Calling Ashish Gautam “true follower of Swami Vivekananda”, the Governor said by opting to serve lepers, he had shown extra-ordinary will power and resolve.Yoga guru Ramdev recommended a Bharat Ratna for the founder of the mission in recognition of his selfless service of lepers.