Karena Perronet-Miller

The Colony  17 of 17 / View all

The age-old stigma surrounding leprosy in India means sufferers are banished to live in quarantined colonies or destined to roam the streets, resigned to a humiliating life of begging. Fear, ignorance and certain cultural beliefs fuel this outdated attitude towards leprosy.It’s a brutal existence. The sick are rejected by their families, ostracised from their communities and stripped of their worldly possessions, including their identity.

My first visit was at night. I wanted to swerve the endless bureaucracy that the official channels of entry might flag in the daytime. Although I was curious to explore the modern reality of this biblical illness, I felt a creeping sense of unease as I approached the gated colony. Not for my own medical safety; on the contrary, I felt my visit might frighten the inmates.

In the deep-scented shadows, I was overwhelmed by a smile so potent and magnetic, it transcended the crumbling architecture of a face stolen by the disease. What was lost in the flesh was reclaimed, amplified and deposited in the spirit. In a second I felt the magical human connection that, regardless of what the eye sees, is always visible to the heart.Since that first visit, I became a regular and privileged guest at the colony over many years. I have an overwhelming feeling of love when I think of this place and all its extraordinary inhabitants.

* My undying gratitude to the late Mr Gerard Arnhold and the late Doctor Mabel Fonseca, my unspoken hero. She dedicated her life and love to so many.