BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: India’s Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has written to the ministries of law and social justice & empowerment seeking amendments to over 100 laws that are discriminatory against leprosy patients.

In his letters to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, Dr Vardhan has requested them take initiatives to amend the laws at a time India is marking the 150th birth anniversary of the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi.

"It will be a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary if we can expedite the process and introduction of the End of Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy Bill, which was drafted by the Law Commission of the country and annexed in its 256th Report," Dr Vardhan wrote in his letter to the ministers.

Dr Vardhan stated, "Even though the ailment is now fully curable, it is disturbing to learn that there still exist 108 discriminatory laws against leprosy patients -- three Union and 105 State laws."

He pointed out that the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) has achieved enormous success in leprosy control, particularly in the past several decades.