ADDRESS BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, AT THE INTERNATIONAL GANDHI LEPROSY AWARD FUNCTION

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 1994               

Respected Rashtrapati, Dr. M.S. Gore, Chairman of the. Gandhi Memorial Foundation, Dr. Gokhale, Convenor of. the Foundation, Dr. Joon Lew, Dr. Ekambaram, Ladies. and Gentlemen,

This is the anniversary of the martyrdom of. Mahatma Gandhi. On this day nothing is more appropriate. and virtuous that one can do than to remember the victims of leprosy, and to honour two great men who have dedicated their lives to the eradication of leprosy, and. to bestow upon that condemned section of society, human. dignity, self.respect, self.reliance and hope. Dr. Joon Lew from Korea and Dr. Ekambaram from India, who. have been chosen for the International Gandhi Award are. not just medical men and humanitarian workers, but great. souls who have dedicated their lives to the liberation. of millions of our unfortunate brethren from the scourge. of leprosy. May I congratulate Dr. Lew and Dr.. Ekambaram for having been chosen for these Awards and Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation for instituting these. Awards.

Gandhiji used to call lepers part of. "oppressed humanity". His service in the eradication of. fs leprosy was part of his work for the freedom of. India. He made it an integral part of his constructive. programme. For him leprosy was a disease of the body. and as he said "there was no difference between leprosy. and cough". It was not a disease to be looked down upon. and its victims were not to be treated as outcastes and. untouchables. It is this modern view at once scientific. and humanistic that Dr. Joon Lew and Dr. Ekambaram. adopted and put into practice with dedication,. self.sacrifice and love and compassion. The. resettlement village movement that Dr. Lew launched in. Korea has not only wiped out leprosy from his beautiful. country, but gave dignity as human beings and hope to. the victims of this disease.

Gandhiji has considered leprosy, indeed all. diseases, as arising mostly from environmental. conditions and form one's way of living. He once said. "I hold that where the ruler of personal, domestic and. public sanitation are strictly observed and due care is. taken in the matter in diet and exercise, there should. be no occasion for illness". Historical experience as. well as modern scientific studies have shown that. infectious diseases are the outcome environmental and. social conditions. It has also been shown that slums. contribute to leprosy and migrations of people from. slums spread it around in towns and cities.

Even more than curing the disease, which is curable, the rehabilitation of the victims as normal. citizens engaged in productive work and restoring to. them self.respect and self.confidence is a greater task.. Dr. Lew and Dr. Ekambaram, whom we are honouring. to.day have done marvellous work in achieving this and have set an example to the whole world. To.day there is. a lot of talk about human rights. But often this talk. is motivated more by politics, even power politics, than. by human compassion. Who could be greater champions of. human rights than Dr. Lew and Dr. Ekambaram, who have. devoted their lives to the cause of restoring human. dignity and hope in life, to millions of people. suffering from the dreaded disease of leprosy.

The two distinguished awardees of to.day. have emphasized in their work the medical,. socio.economic, and the spiritual aspects of their.mission. As most of you might be knowing Gandhiji, while he was in South Africa was agitated by the question of doing some concrete act in the service of. his fellowmen. At that time a leper comes to his door asking for food and alms. Gandhiji served him with a. meal, dressed his wounds and gave him shelter. He. carried on this service to leprosy stricken people even. in the midst of his tireless and stormy political. activities in India to the very end. He once wrote "Leprosy work is not merely medical relief; it is. transforming frustration in life into the joy of. dedication, and personal ambition into self.less service." I am happy that the Jury of this International. Gandhi Award have chosen two outstanding human beings. who have found "self.less service" and "joy of. dedication" in their work for wiping out the scourge of. leprosy.

Thank you.