Thoudam (Ongbi) Akashini Devi : Champion master athlete battling leprosy, social stigma

Ngangom Suraj *

Thoudam (Ongbi) Akashini Devi with husband, Thoudam Nabakumar :: Pix - Chronicle News Service / Ngangom Suraj

A testament to the courage and resilience of Manipuri women, 70-year-old Thoudam (Ongbi) Akashini Devi - a master athlete who has won 85 gold medals in national championships and 2 gold medals in international arena - is currently fighting leprosy which, the world assumes, has been long-eradicated.

Akashini is mother of six sons and wife to Thoudam Nabakumar alias Oja Kumar of Wangoi Makha Leikai in Imphal West district. Her will power is so strong that despite suffering from Leprosy she had won four gold medals during her treatment period before deciding to take a break so as to improve her deteriorating health condition.

She, along with her family gave their consent to disclose her identity, a true remark of her unwavering commitment towards inspiring many other leprosy patients to stand up for themselves.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, has long carried a heavy social stigma that often isolates patients from their families, communities, and workplaces. At present there are 22 leprosy patients under treatment as per official record with 14 new cases detected in the current year.

Despite being a curable bacterial infection, misconceptions persist, and many still associate it with deformity, contagion, or even evil spirit possession. This stigma leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, sometimes for years, as individuals hide their symptoms out of fear of rejection or discrimination.

In an exclusive interview with The People's Chronicle, Akashini, who is also a farmer and a master athlete since 2006, recalled that while she was working at the family farm her upper left arm started swelling but she dismissed it thinking it could be from a bee bite or simply muscle cramps.

However, after few more days she started experiencing sleepless nights as her arm become more painful and itchy, and white patches appeared in her body. After consulting a doctor she was advised to go for surgery but assuming that surgical procedure will take months to recovery, and disrupt farm work as also training for an upcoming athletics competition, she refused to take the advice seriously.

The medals that Thoudam (Ongbi) Akashini Devi has won :: Pix - Chronicle News Service / Ngangom Suraj

It was only on September, 2023, months after the symptoms appeared, that she was diagnosed leprosy after consulting another doctor, Akashini recalled.

Initially she did not care much about the disease as it is curable but after seeing some serious patients with de formities started taking the medication seriously along with balance diets and regular exercises, Akashini confessed with a smiling face, adding, she however had to extend her period of medication as its continuity was disrupted by the on-going conflict.

Recalling the days during her initial stage of treatments when she avoided social gatherings and public places fearing people might disgust her for fear of contracting the disease from her, Akashini said that she mustered her courage to attend all gatherings, while also giving awareness to her colleagues about leprosy, as much as she could.

At present, apart from mild pain in her arm, swollen gums and few remaining white patches which are also turning back to her normal skin colour, she is as good as a healthy person and is also set to participate in many more master athletics championships, both national and international.

On the other hand, despite having won over 80 gold medals she is yet to receive the recognition she deserved and is still suffering from financial constraints.

Shockingly, for all the gold medals won since 2018, she has not received the cash prizes associated with the medals as the organisation authorised to process withdrawal of the prize money split into two and are currently fighting in the court for the ownership of the same.

"I am getting older and soon won't be able to participate in any more championships. But the organisation will continue to exist. So, please be united and work for the common good so as to bring laurels to the state," she pleaded, while also advising the younger generations to abstain from bad habits.

State leprosy officer Dr Salam Bocha explained that leprosy is transmitted from an infected person to another primarily through prolonged and close contact, typically requiring around 20 hours of exposure per week or consistent contact over a period of at least three months in a year.

Even under such conditions, the risk of transmission remains is as low as 5 percent. The chances of transmitting leprosy is about 1 in 10,000.The bacteria Mycobacterium leprae causing leprosy has an unusually long incubation period, often ranging from 5 to 10 years, which means symptoms can take years to appear, making early detection challenging.

This long latency period also increases the likelihood that a healthy immune system will suppress the bacteria before it can cause harm. Importantly, leprosy is not spread through casual touch, sharing food, or sexual contact, Dr Bocha explained.

Once treatment begins, typically with a multi-drug antibiotic therapy, the disease becomes non-infectious, reinforcing that timely diagnosis and medical intervention are key not only to curing the patient but also to stopping transmission.

If not treated early, leprosy can cause permanent nerve damage, leading to muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the limbs, and disfigurement, particularly in the hands, feet, and face.

These physical effects, compounded by psychological trauma and social exclusion, can destroy livelihoods and rob patients of dignity, making timely treatment and public awareness critical not just for health, but for human rights, Dr Bocha cautioned.

He advised persons who have complains such as discoloration, thickened or shiny skin; inability to close eyes; ulceration in hands and foot; clawing of fingers or foot drop; tingling or numbness in hands or foot; loss of sensation in palms or sole, inability to feel cold or hot objects; weakness in hand or foot in holding or grasping objects, etc., to immediately seek medical attention.