Acid attacks in India: Most heinous crime against women

She was like other girls, enjoying her routine. Sometimes happy, sometimes complaining, she was trying to move along with the pace of the new city. Her new job was quite good and she managed to get some new friends. No doubt she was charming. Everything was going to go in the right direction until that day. That ominous day, when she was returning her apartment after finishing her day in the office. She got off the auto and moved ahead. A few steps were left from her home when two boys on a bike appeared beside her. The next second she got her face melted and burned with the liquid…. Acid had played its worst part getting mixed with human cruelty.



She went through surgical treatment but her face is no longer her’s. It has been several years since that happened but scars are everywhere. Not only on her face, on her innocent mind, her dreams and her ambitions too. She now has forgotten completely, how she used to flaunt looking her adorable face in the mirror. The mirror itself seems like neglecting her identity. Her little dreams have been crushed out by the one-sided love affair and a bottle of acid.

If you need to know the name of the girl then you should read any of the stories about acid survivors. She could be anyone among thousands of girl victims in India.

Check out this link for some inspiring stories of acid survivors in India: 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-24/indian-acid-victims-want-to-break-down-social-stigma/11428952

What data says:

Nearly 300 cases are reported every year but the real figure maybe around 1000 as many of such cases remain unreported.
A research paper was published by Indian Journal of Burns to study the nature of Acid Attacks in India. It reveals the major causes of this heinous crime and the suffering of acid attack survivors in detail including their age group. The results are no overwhelming. Expectedly 70-80% victims are women and many of them are under 30 years old. In the research 52 cases have been studied retrospectively from July 2012 to 2017. It found out that around 42.3% acid attacks were done by one-sided lovers, while dowery cases and marital dispute cases both contributed 3.8%.

In other parts of the world male victims are common in acid attacks but in countries like Bangladesh, Taiwan, Cambodia, USA and India women have been the soft target. In India, particularly the structure of the patriarchal society can be blamed. Data shows that many of the cases occurred as a result of one-sided love. The less participation of girls in choosing her life partner, especially in rural areas, corrupts the boys’ minds. They somehow start to think that they can get any girl they want if not by consent then by force. These mentalities follow them to the cities where a rather open society provides space for girls and boys hanging out easily. Now the mentioned research reflects more cases in urban areas than rural.

Where is Justice:

In the seek of justice acid victims have to fight for years with a traumatic experience. The sluggish judicial system is certainly unable to do justice with the victims. As per the National Crime Records Bureau of India, in 2015, 734 cases went for trial, that is the highest number, but only 33 cases could be completed. Whom would you blame for this? However, the conviction rate was 45.4 per cent but is nothing with the number of cases completed. Lack of awareness among the common people and media indifferences are some factors that cause immobility in such cases. We seldom get to know about these cases in the news channels or newspapers. They always seem busy weeping crocodile tears over rape cases. Taking people's attention to the rape cases is important but rape is not the only crime against the women and acid attacks should also get highlighted in media that can create some pressure on the judiciary and police system to take action and do justice.

The national crime records bureau tells us that acid attacks in recent years have been rising but the number of charge sheets filed against those people has gone down. Whom would you blame for this? In 2017 and 2018, a total of 596 acid attacks were reported but only 149 charge sheets were filed by police each year. These incidents don’t become headlines in media and police never mind showing no alertness.

Organizations for acid attack victims in India:

Chhanv Foundation( https://www.chhanv.org/ ): It was started in 2013 as a group of friends with stop acid attacks campaigns. In 2014 they become a registered organization for the rehabilitation of acid attacks survivors. They provide counselling and help to get jobs. They also run Sheroes Hangout cafes for non-skilled.

Make love not scars( https://www.makelovenotscars.org/ ): It was started in Jan 2014 and since then it is dedicated to providing medical, legal, educational, vocational, and psychological rehabilitation to acid attacks victims. It is a place for regaining hope that is lost and give the survivors a new aim of life.

Meer Foundation( https://www.meerfoundation.org/ ): It is a centre to protect and empower women with a versatile approach in providing meaningful support. They are partners with medical centres, NGOs, self-help groups, skill learning centres and child care centres as well. They have been fighting for women at multiple seeking attention and support from common people.

Some global organizations for acid attack victims:

Acid Survivors Trust International( https://www.asti.org.uk/ ): They are pledged to serve acid attack survivors, all over the world. They have trained many surgeons helping acid attacks survivors in India, Uganda, Pakistan and other countries. They also raise voice and campaigns to change the laws in these crimes.

Acid Survivors Foundation( http://www.acidsurvivors.org/ ): BAsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, It is determined to reduce and eventually eliminate the acid attacks in Bangladesh. It is globally acknowledged foundation provides financial, medical and psychological support to Acid survivors.

A nation and its citizen should be shameful for rising crimes against women. Acid attack is one of the heinous crime against women that attacks the dignity of women and set them apart from society that is yet to be aware to do justice to those survivors. They are not seeking merci or sympathy from the society but only a dignified place where they can live like the rest of the common people. Also, we hope that these heinous attacks will be counted to zero in the upcoming years.