Even as the Government has launched a massive leprosy detection campaign in the country revealing thousands of “hidden” cases, 'The Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons Affected by leprosy (EDPAl) Bill, 2015' that aims to amend and repeal several out-dated laws in order to protect rights of such persons is caught in the apathy.
The legislation has been drafted as per Justice AP Shah law commission's report on the rights of the leprosy which recommended doing away with many archaic laws that are still prevalent in the country. However, the Government seems to be taking its own time to pass the Bill.
"There are many outdated laws like 1898 lepers Act which are discriminatory against leprosy inflicted people. Based on these out-dated laws, they can be divorced, denied their right to property, driving license and train travel just because they have been affected by leprosy," said Javed Abidi, Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).
To protect the leprosy afflicted people, the EDPAl Bill is the need of the hour, he added. For, India cannot afford to have the regressive laws such as 1898 lepers Act which outcast a huge section of our society. The leprosy and the disability sectors, together demand for the passage of the Bill in the winter session of the Parliament, Abidi said.
The NCPEDP along with other NGOs shared similar sentiments at a roundtable on leprosy issues held on Tuesday in partnership with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) with the support of The Nippon Foundation here.
They urged the Ministries of law and MSJE to act on the detailed recommendations on a priority basis and as a matter of urgency in order to mainstream persons affected by leprosy.