The National Human Rights Commission organised a day-long 'National Workshop on Leprosy' in New Delhi on the 17th April, 2015. Addressing it, Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC said that the issue of bringing the leprosy affected persons in the mainstream of society with a uniform approach across the country remained a challenge. Corporates should come forward and adopt colonies of persons affected with leprosy as part of their philanthropy measures. Discriminatory provisions in the law, including those in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, violating the rights of leprosy affected persons should be removed.
Justice Balakrishnan said that occurrence of fresh cases of leprosy despite various preventive measures is a cause of concern. It was needed to be studied why the incidents of leprosy were more in some States than the others. All efforts have to be made by various stakeholders to spread awareness about the scientific facts related to the disease and break the myths attached with it.
Shri Bhanu Paratap Sharma, Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that the issue of rehabilitation of the leprosy affected persons is a stupendous task and cannot be handled by any one Ministry. He said that the Centre was committed to achieving the elimination target by 2017, as set out in the 12th Five Year Plan, with the cooperation from States.
Shri Sharma said that all States need to appoint District Leprosy Officers along with District Leprosy Consultants. They also need to fill up the vacant posts of para-medical workers for the care of leprosy patients. He lauded the role of NGOs involved in the identification, treatment and facilitation of leprosy affected persons and underlined the various incentives given by the Government for such work.
The participants included, NHRC Members, Justice Shri Cyriac Joseph, Justice Shri D. Murugesan, Shri S.C. Sinha, Secretary General, Shri Rajesh Kishore and other senior officers, representatives of National Commissions, State Human Rights Commissions, other State Commissions, representatives of Centre, State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, health experts, legal experts and civil society, among others.
Several suggestions, emanated from the National Conference. Some are as follows:
1) Large number of NHRC's recommendations as well as those given in the 131st and the 138th Reports of Committee on Petitions of Rajya Sabha need to be implemented to end social and economic discrimination of leprosy affected persons and their families.
2) The Ministry for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities should revisit the guidelines issued on the subject of Disability Certificate in 2001 so as to give a special consideration to the category of leprosy cured persons even if they do not fulfil the minimum disability of 40 per cent.
3) The possibility of creating a sub-quota of reservations in jobs for leprosy affected persons, in aggregate 5 per cent reservation, needs to be explored in the pending Bill for Persons with Disabilities.
4) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment needs to have schemes for children of persons affected with disabilities.
5) Special camps need to be organised throughout the country for distribution of assistive devices as well as Disability Certificates for leprosy affected persons.
6) State should give a reasonable amount of pension for the disabled leprosy affected persons.
7) Remove discriminatory provisions in State Acts (as done by Odisha) to allow leprosy affected persons to contest elections.
8) There is a need to give land ownership to the leprosy affected persons and help them build houses under the Government Schemes.
9) The Government should develop a special programme for the social and economic empowerment of leprosy affected persons.
10) The Centre and States need to implement WHO guidelines for participation of affected persons in leprosy services.
11) The National Leprosy Eradication Programme should include a multi-faceted strategic plan to change the mindsets and reduce stigma and discrimination attached with leprosy.