Christian activist felicitated for curing thousands of lepers

A noted Christian activist who has cured thousands of leprosy sufferers in Bihar was Tuesday felicitated with 'The Week - Man of the Year 2009' award.

The award by India's leading national weekly 'The Week' was presented by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who hailed the awardee Brother Christudas for his selfless efforts in healing leprosy-stricken.

"I feel delighted because it is honouring social workers who are involved in this kind of work. It's not a personal award; it is for all those social workers, who are working for the people," said Christudas.

Das, who was a director in Mother Teresa's leprosy centre at Titagarh near Calcutta, was featured on the cover of The Week's December last week edition for his exemplary work for the lepers.

The magazine described him as a one-man army who gave 50,000 lepers and their families a fresh start in life. "He gave them treatment, dignity and more importantly the will to live and smile again," it had written.

It also wrote on how the son of a liquor vender from Kerala's Edamaruku village traveled around the country in his quest to become a missionary priest.

Das landed up at Sunderpur, Raxaul, on November 20, 1981. Later he began the Little Flower Leprosy Hospital with about 100 lepers.

Das has also been able to start a school for the children of leprosy patients, a hostel for the leprosy-afflicted parents and their children and workshops for women suffering from leprosy.