NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Centre, states and Union Territories to remove “discriminatory” legal provisions against leprosy-affected persons in the laws of
the country.
In a detailed advisory, the rights panel listed “discriminating legal provisions” and called for timely identification, treatment and for elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy.
NHRC chief justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra also suggested the Centre to consider enacting a law to provide for substitution of “derogatory terms” used to describe persons affected by leprosy. The advisory listed discriminating legal provisions against the leprosy affected persons in 97 laws of the country and called for their removal.
The advisory called upon authorities to ensure that no person or any of his family members is discriminated against and denied all or any of the right to healthcare, employment, education and land rights.
For the betterment of lives, the NHRC urged authorities to launch special programmes to provide vocational training, employment and unemployment benefits, health insurance among others.