Do you know what old disease is still exists in our very present world of today? Its one of the oldest. No matter how old it is recorded, yet still crawling many developing countries like Indonesia, Brazil, India, and some African countries.
The oldest tale about the disease is recorded as old as historical time. A well documented note about it is to the date of 6000 years ago. This is one of the oldest and most frightening diseases ever recorded. It crated an incomparable stigma in human history. It creates an incredible impact to those who even just hear the name of the disease mentioned.
The ironic about it is that still very less people know about the subject. It became the most silent subject in all government of the countries where the diseases still exist. Since it was named, the terminology has become a problem of lower cast people in India; A shy-full word to be mentioned in many families. To be honest, before I know the diseases and became the one who meet and learn how a person affected live their lives, I know nothing about it.
Can you imagine that you then considered as sinful, filthy and useless by your loved community members? No other diseases that causes the sufferer in unconditional distress as the diseases. In some religious groups this even called cast-away people.
A well recorded painting was made in India during Gandhi time showing how useless a person can be once the diseases is in his body. The pencil scratch painting showing a man lying under a big tree with a shaking hand from his family members ( I presume it must be his wife), saying ‘good bye and die safely’.
I found does not sound like our oriental value to leave your family members that way. It’s the stigma of the diseases that forced us, me, and our community members to commit such action. How does the stigma has an immense power to force us? It evolved like a snowball, starts small and turned out to be a giant ball that has enough mass to role overt a culture. The decision to treat anyone with the diseases lies deep in our heart.
Why can’t people treat anyone else with tuberculosis, bird flu, or terrible cough as stigmatized as the diseases I meant here? The simple and logic of the disease is; If you are one of them, would you accept anyone else treat you like that?
Promise me not to treat anyone with such disease if I mentioned the disease name after this. Though I cannot judge you from your answer, its your responsibility to our community and the persons who suffer from it all this time. Its lepra in old India, kustu in the Sanskrit, and leprosy is how the world knows it today.
You can visit www.leprosymission.org or www.transformasilepra.org for more information about the diseases.
Jakarta, 31 December 2007
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