Delivered Extempore

ADDRESS BY SHRI  K.R.  NARAYANAN, VICE‑PRESIDENT OF INDIA, AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE NEW BLOCK OF THE LEPROSY MISSION HOSPITAL, NAINI

ALLAHABAD, APRIL 2, 1995

Hon'ble Shri Mulayam Singh Yadavji Hon'ble Minister of Health, Shri Balram Yadavji, His Excellency Ambassador of Switzerland, Director of Leprosy Mission, Dr.  Waltier, Hon'ble Members of Parliament & Legislature, distinguished medical staff and para‑medical staff of this Leprosy Mission Hospital, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very lucky that during my first visit to Allahabad, the first public function should be such an auspicious one, dedicated to human service and the eradication of a dreaded disease.  Leprosy has been a scourge which afflicted mankind for many many centuries.  We know that in the Bible it is said that Jesus Christ cured a leper and we know from Indian mythology how one of the sons of Lord Krishna was afflicted by leprosy and he was advised by a sage that he should worship the sun in order to get it cured.  So this is an age old afflication and people thought that this disease would never be cured. It was not just a disease.  It was a disease which banished human being from human society, ostracised them.  They were afflicted, physically, mentally, psychologically, socially and spiritually.  This Leprosy Mission is dedicated to a cure of a such scourge.  This is a disease which has many social implications as the Hon'ble Chief Minister just said, behind this disease is the poverty of the people, the insanitary circumstances in which they live, the horrible hygenic conditions of our life and also the neglect of rules of health and rules of good living by people.  You might recall that Mahatma Gandhi while he was in South Africa and undergoing an agonising mental, physical conflict as to what he should do in the situation which confronted him there, he says he thought there whole night what concrete service he could give for relieving human suffering. 

The next morning a leper came and knocked at his door.  He was asking for food.  Gandhiji offered him food.  He dressed his wounds, tended him and offered him shelter and it was at this moment, Gandhiji discovered that leprosy cure could be made part of a constructive programme for social and national upliftment.  You will, therefore, find that in the constructive programme t6hat Mahatma Gandhi put before the Indian people, as a part of the strategy for our independence struggle, he gave an important place for the cure of the leprosy.  Gandhiji had said some very very interesting things about leprosy.  He described the leper as part of oppressed humanity and not just as a disease.  The lepers were part of oppressed humanity because when they got this illness they were looked down upon with contempt by other people and they were ostracised from society and Gandhiji elaborated upon it several times and elevated leprosy eradication work to a high plane involving political, social and spiritual significance.  I should like to quote Mahatmaji.  He said "Leprosy work is not merely medical relief. It is transforming frustration into life, into the joy or dedication and personal ambition into selfless service".  Further he said, "I am deliberately introducing the leper as a link in the chain of constructive effort.  What the leper is in India that we are all if we look about us for the modern civilised world." He was talking about an India of that time.  But even today, we have poverty with us, we have disease with us, we have unemployment with us we have the humiliation of living in deprivation and therefore, even today leprosy work must be looked upon as a larger aspect of social upliftment and national development.   

This mission is an old one, over a century old.  It is remarkable how Christian missionaries came to this country and how Bailey who was shocked by the conditions of life of lepers in this country who was moved to setting up this institution.  How it grew over the years, spread all over India with also a widespread international network.  The presence of the Ambassador of Switzerland here is evidence of the world interest in leprosy work that is being conducted by this mission and in India.  We appreciate the involvement of international community in this work.   

I have been to Wardha and I have seen the Gandhi Leprosy Hospital there and the wonderful work they are doing there.  I also happen to be the Chairman of the Jury of an International Leprosy Award instituted by a voluntary agency in this country.  I have, therefore, some idea of the wonderful work that is being done in India and in the world for the eradication of this disease.  As you know the WHO has targetted 2000 A.D.  for the eradication of leprosy.  In India also we have a national mission which the Government of India has adopted for the eradication of leprosy by the dawn of the 21st century.  This work, therefore is going on and what is remarkable is that the new discovery of the treatment of multi‑drug therapy which has proved that leprosy can be completely eradicated particularly if it can be detected earlier. 

I understand the work of this leprosy mission and this hospital covers the entire gamut of anti‑leprosy activity, early detection, treatment, surgery, physiotherapy, resettlement and re‑habilitation work, also vocational training and self‑employment training.  In this way a complete programme has been evolved for fighting this disease.  Uttar Pradesh together with Bihar and West Bengal, I understand, have the largest numbers of leprosy patients in this country and India had the honour of having the largest number of leprosy patients in the world.  That situation is changing fast and it was encouraging to here from the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh about the programmes that they have launched for the eradication of leprosy and the promise of assistance that he has made in this very noble mission.  On this occasion, I should also like to mention as I said earlier, for us this is an all India programme and the eradication of leprosy is linked to our national development, to eradication of poverty, disease and ignorance from our country.  This mission is part of that work, part of the voluntary work.  In fact the voluntary agencies have a very significant role to play in fighting leprosy.  I was told that there are over 30 major voluntary organisations in this country fighting leprosy. 

They can reach the people.  With the help of governmental agencies and the international communities it has become eminently practicable to abolish leprosy altogether from our country by 2,000 A.D.  I should also like to emphasise one more point which is that leprosy is a social disease and outcome of social conditions, and therefore, if you observe and make available to our people the facilities for sanitation, health services and of course adequate food and honest and decent ways of living, leprosy can be prevented from afflicting us not just eradicating it after it has occurred but it is possible for us today to prevent the occurrence of leprosy through socialo planning, through good living and through sanitary conditions of life.  May I congratulate the Leprosy Mission here in Naini for the wonderful work they have been doing not only here but all over India for their branches and for opening today a new block for this hospital in order to serve the people of India.  I wish this institution every success in their very noble humanitarian work.

Thank you.