“Didi, people are not friendly with us so far in the outside world, they always tease us because we live in a leprosy colony”, w
hen 19 years old girl was telling this to me then her eyes were full of tears.
This September, when I visited one of the leprosy colonies in Chhattisgarh, the people there were expressing the similar experiences. I witnessed the unusual silence and sadness in these colonies.
It seemed the Leprosy-affected people due to the social stigma against the leprosy disease due to its disfigurement causes, the victims are getting isolated and shunned from the mainstream society.
Leprosy is one of the least infectious diseases as nearly everyone has some measure of natural resistance against it. This is also the leading cause of permanent disability in the world and is primarily a disease of the poor as many reports says. It currently affects approximately a quarter of million people across the world but the majority of these cases are found in India. Apparently India is the origin of Leprosy and currently running one of the largest leprosy eradication program in the world, it is called NLEP: National Leprosy Eradication Program. This issue can be majorly seen in 13 states of India, mostly the north and middle areas.
World Health Organisation (WHO) and other research reports state that 58.85% of new leprosy cases in the world are in India. In 2013-14, 1.27 lakhs new cases of leprosy were diagnosed.
Social stigma associated with Leprosy is forcing Leprosy-affected people to stay away from their village and settle in colonies demarcated for them.
People are coming from different parts of India and living together by building their own small huts or tents, struggling to get access for the basic amenities. It is sad to see how they’re being treated as untouchables in most places.
In fact, Leprosy-affected people are not only facing the social discrimination, they are ignored by the Law as well. Laws in the states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa prohibit leprosy patients from running for representation at local elections. These laws have been supported by the national government, as evidenced when Supreme Court of India upheld a ruling by the State of Orissa prohibiting leprosy patients from participating in local elections. Other laws include the Indian Rail Act of 1990 which prohibits leprosy patients from traveling by train; the Motor Vehicle Act of 1939 which restricts leprosy patients from obtaining a driving license and they not been updated!
In this aspect there are some organisations like Pratham Education Foundation, the project which I was handling is to bring Leprosy-affected people to the mainstream. Pratham Institute, the vocational skilling wing of Pratham, has trained nearly 200 candidates since 2013-14 with support from SASAKAWA India Leprosy Foundation. Here I would like to mention a case of Shiv.
There is still a huge need for support for these affected people which need to be addressed as soon as possible. The social stigma associated with Leprosy has to be eradicated, 
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Leprosy is a curable disease and awareness of this has to reach everyone so that the victims do not suffer.
I am ending this piece with a quote by St. Mother Teresa, “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis but rather the feeling of being unwanted”
halligadde 