Acid attacks on women

Shiban Khaibri
Those ones must surely be barbarian devils and wild parasitic vermin who not only disfigure the face, the body of a victim, usually a woman but even his or her soul. We always blame only the Government and the system but not the parents who do not inculcate right traditions and value systems in their children right from the start till eventually they turn into hardened heart less criminals. Acid throwing or vitriol attack is by all intents and purposes, one of the most dreaded heinous crimes against basic human values and should call for a punishment of no less than the death penalty. The person with such a diabolic mindset does not perhaps know that a bottle of acid means a perpetual excruciating pain for the victim life throughout. It is tantamount to damaging the victim’s body, psyche, and whole of the life. In simpler words, it is a punishment of a lifelong death, the victim dying each day, nay each minute.
As if the horrendous attack of acid is less agonizing, the behavior of the passersby and the neighbours   is, in most of the cases, of mute spectators. It got amply proven a few days back when a lady Doctor riding a “scooty” became victim of the acid attack perpetrated by two young men riding a motorbike.  The criminals snatched her bag too. It appeared that the blood in their veins had frozen; the human feelings had dried up to the extent of malignancy. The victim, as recorded on CCTV cried for help pathetically for more than 20 minutes but the passersby on that Delhi road at 9.20 am in the morning just saw and kept on making their “ways”. It seemed humanity in them, at least Indian traditions in their psyche, had perished. The shrieking cries depicting the extent of burns sensation did not stir the conscience of those passersby for over 20 minutes till a person in neighbourhood came down from his house and called Police and after 35 minutes writhing with burn sensation and excruciating pain, she was taken to hospital. The callous attitude and “passing by” approach has made deep inroads into the conscience of most of the people  which projects that concern to help a needy and the courage to take on an attacker or a molester has virtually frozen in us. How it can be accounted for that the people gather around a victim to see him or her bleed to death but not provide immediate medical help as was witnessed in yet another instance a few months back?
How much stunning it looks that the attacker on the lady Doctor in Delhi turned out to be her colleague, a Doctor himself who reportedly “was in one sided love with her” and her spurning the “love” got her the acid  attack. The culprit had been her class mate who brought shame and slur to  his profession, otherwise the noblest one, wedded to serve humanity, the sufferers, the wounded , the ones in pain and discomfort, the ones who are trained to heal and not cause wounds.
Not helping an acid attack victim on the scene of attack really smacks of conscience paralysis and inertia of thought process. It is shocking that on an average 1000 cases of acid attacks; mostly on women are reported in our country each year. A few days back, a group of women who survived acid attacks but not without getting virtually disfigured and suffering from other physical and psychological challenges, demonstrated outside the Parliament. Their voices must be heard on priority, their proper dignified rehabilitation should be on the top agenda of the government. The burning sensation of the acid is a lifelong pain for these victims whose sweet dreams of leading a normal beautiful life stand shattered on account of that one minute’s “devilish sport” of the satanic devil perpetrators.  Topsy – turviness of social, economic and even financial viability of the acid victim are lifelong scars inflicted by the attackers on the victim. The victim very often, following surviving an attack,  plunge into mental problems like anxiety, depression of increasing levels and suffering from lower esteem . A reasonably well earning woman  pursuing different types of professions like  an artist, a singer, an athlete, a physician etc; is rendered economically dependent on her spouse or parents,  making life still more miserable. Beauty is turned into defacement, attraction is replaced by repulsion, acceptability as an important component of society is turned into ostracizing, prospects of marriage and family hood get a pathetic burial.  What a tragedy befalls an unfortunate victim within a second and should the offender be left scot free to roam for “further prowling” to the detriment of the social equilibrium should concern us all. Should the offender deserve any leniency from any quarter, be it Police, public, judiciary, relatives or whosoever?
Does the attacker know that burning of eyelids or losing eye sight permanently, burning of hair to the extent of affecting the skull , turning deaf on account of damage to ears , flattening of nose or burning of nostrils  — are a few aftermaths of the acid attack . The horrifying reaction of acid on the sensitive parts of the body especially the face, throat, and neck are heart rending, calling for most stringent action against the attackers. It is intriguing as to how these criminals obtain the horrendous weapon to attack and maim the victim forever. The Supreme Court guidelines for regulating the sale of the acid are not being followed by all the states hence the incidences of acid attacks on women are on the rise.
We have, otherwise, become in most of the cases, a land of violence, drug addiction, intolerance, sans “sanaskars”, indiscipline, sex maniacs and apathetic towards the suffering and the weak. Should in a country like ours with ancient high traditions and rich civilization , a land of Avtaars, seers, Rishis , Gurus and courageous warriors witness children being defiled sexually, more so in the four walls of a school building? Should female children, say baby children in many cases,  deserve to be so savagely treated by  satanic criminals  when we have traditions of “kanya pujan” in our country? How many instances more of first molesting and then setting ablaze a woman victim shall “saitisfy” the flesh and the blood thirst of such savage heartless criminals?
Our state too unfortunately, of late, has recorded a few cases of such inhuman barbaric acts of acid throwing on young girls. Recently in Srinagar such a dastardly act got young boys and girls on roads protesting against the culprits of a recent attack of such type roaming free. It is a matter of some satisfaction that such a good amount of pressure was exerted on the attacker’s family that they handed him over to the Police. The victim young woman, a law student  who had been under constant stalking by the conspirator attacker following her movements closely and upon resisting the advances by her, was attacked with acid by a “friend” of the main satanic brain behind it.
Let all the expenses on treatment of an acid victim and a fair amount of compensation be collected from the sale proceeds of the offender’s property, movable and immovable including the severest punishment to the extent of awarding death penalty. The law makers should please see a few victims what they have been made into by such dastardly myopic attacks of acid so that they make stringent laws. Let sale of acid be very strictly regulated.

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