Separate residential unit to be set up for lepers, disabled

Some stigmas are too strong that no amount of awareness can overcome them. Though a lot has been done to sensitise the society towards leprosy and ilk, many affected by it are not welcomed with open arms.

With this thought in mind, Dr Vikas Amte, son of great social activist Baba Amte, said the idea to set up separate residential unit for them was born.

"Although over 60,000 persons have ventured out of the Maharogi Sewa Samiti (MSS) after acquiring some special skills from here to earn a livelihood, many of the persons affected with various disabilities, and their families continue to live at MSS," Vikas told reporters.

Hence, the need for a proper place to stay is constantly increasing in proportion to the intra-disability and inter-disability marriages," Vikas said adding therefore a 'Himmatgram' would be set up for them.

Aptly christened Himmatgram (which literally means a courageous village), will serve as a residential commune for leprosy, physically and visually challenged persons so that they have a proper place to live and evolve in life, he said.

"Baba Amte began his institution (MSS) 60 years back in Anandwan and trained the leprosy patients with skills and education along with their treatment so that they could be accepted by the society. The experiment was not fully successful as the society continues to remain indifferent to most them even today," he said. 

"Therefore we wish to establish residential units for almost 500 people to provide right to fuller life by way of right to sexuality, companionship and parenthood," Vikas said.

There are nearly one crore people in India affected by leprosy and even after the government has declared that most of them are not contagious, they are still not allowed inside a movie theatre or any such public places, he said.

Therefore, the institution has been providing platform for these talented leprosy patients and other physically and visually challenged artists to showcase their skills, through a unique movement called 'Swaranandwan'.

Through this medium of 'therapeutic theatre', "we are bringing 200 special children to Mumbai for a performance for four days," he said.

They have already performed at 700 places in Goa and Maharashtra and this is purely to tell the society that even if they do not accept them, they have self confidence and talent to lead a normal life and express their untapped potential which eventually gives them the purpose of life-human evolution, Vikas added.