Prem Singh

Prem Singh is a social worker who has spent more than three decades on community-based rehabilitation of people affected by leprosy and on the campaign to end the disease in India. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2022 in the field of social work, from Punjab ^[1].

From a poor family

Prem Singh was born on 9 December 1951 into a poor family in Behrampur Zimidari village, Ropar district ^[2]. His parents, Amar Singh and Nachhattar Kaur, educated him despite great hardship, and he graduated from the Government College, Ropar, in 1971 ^[2]. After retiring he took an MBA from Punjab Technical University in 2013 ^[2].

Homes and work for leprosy patients

He founded two voluntary organisations, the Leprosy Welfare Mission in Chandigarh and the Leprosy Elimination Society in Mohali ^[2]. He has helped more than 1,000 people who have recovered from leprosy rebuild their lives, and run rallies and seminars with youth clubs to spread awareness of the disease and of its cure with multi-drug therapy ^[2]. He has pressed the government for interest-free loans so patients could start small businesses ^[2].

To pay for the work he used his savings, sold his wife’s jewellery, took loans and sold his own house to build homes for patients ^[2]. His late wife, Malkiat Kaur, bore criticism and isolation from relatives for the family’s choices ^[2].

He received a national award for the welfare of persons with disabilities in 2002 and the Vayoshreshtha Samman in 2019 ^[2].