One Acid Attack And Life Changes Forever.... Why Is Acid Violence So Common?

At the dawn of December 14, a 17-year-old teenage girl's life changed forever. Her fault none, two men from nowhere, appear on a bike in Delhi's Dwarka district; one of them throws acid on the girl and disappears. The minor screams in agony, and CCTV captures the entire horrific incident. The girl suffered 7 to 8% facial burns, and her eyes get affected. So far, only one accused, identified by a girl, has been detained. One acid attack and everything changed for the girl, who is now battling with life at a hospital.

Dwarka Acid Attack Case And More Incidents

Think for a second about how it feels to have a life with a distorted face, especially when the world is superficial and the face drops the first impression. Isn't it petrifying? Even a single pimple or acne skin can give you a nightmare. Think of an entirely disfigured face.

In September, a teen boy threw acid on a 17-year-old girl from Jharkhand's Chatra district resulting in a face burn. In January 2022, acid was thrown on a woman over a land dispute in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district, and the mother of six children eventually lost her life two months later. Several such incidents of revenge, dissent, and rage against women have been frequently reported, but no major change is visible in preventing them. Also, none looked into the life of acid attack survivors fighting for a dignified life. 

 Acid not only deforms the face but also shatters a person's confidence. It impacts every aspect of an acid attack survivor's life, and it entirely disrupts her socio-economic life. From a career to having a life partner, everything alters. There have been multiple cases wherein survivors have had to leave their job because of the aftermath of an acid attack. In a webinar, where a survivor Daulat Bi Khan was invited to speak about her experience, she recalled how she lost her job as a beautician because a person with distorted looks cannot serve the customers who came to beautify themselves. 

Despite multiple cosmetic surgeries, survivors cannot return to their original selves. The scars remain for life, with a few visible on the face and others on the soul. For an economically weaker woman, these surgeries are not even affordable, and these damages are permanent. Women have to face unemployment resulting in a financial crunch, the burden of hospital bills, face economic dependency, which eventually takes away the agency to make a decision. It doesn't stop there. Serious injuries may cause sensation loss, blindness, deaf ears, and more. 

Besides, the crucial part of life is having a partner, the sexual desires which could be rejected just because of a distorted face. Even a little brown complexion doesn't go down well in Indian society. The acceptance for an acid attack survivor is far away. Marriage and having a regular life are hard to bring onto a plate. Not every man appears to be Amol to Malti from the film Chhapaak. The bottle of acid, costing 30 to 100 Rs, can ruin lives forever. The mental trauma and the horrors of the incident force women to isolate themselves. The rest of the damage is done by society by giving them a hard time at work and in their personal life. 

Everybody is all about punishing the accused, but no one to help her start fresh and build her broken confidence. Does anybody think of the misery of such a life? Why is it so that a woman's life must get altered after facing such a crime? Why does society force women to isolate themselves? Why do we as a society keep reminding the horrors of the past? Why we are only behind punishing the accused and not interested in rehabilitating the survivor?  

Even if the system is behind the accused to punish him, what change has the system offered so far? The prevalence of cases is the same. Union Government in August month said 386 acid attack cases on women were registered between 2018 to 2022, and only 62 accused were convicted. So what is the use when the system can't convict the registered case? Also, think of cases that go unreported. A survivor neither gets justice nor the hope for a better life. 

Supreme court added Sections 326 A and 326 B of the Indian Penal Code to the Criminal Law Act in 2013 creating special provisions for acid attack survivors and victims. The culprits may be punished, imprisoned/ or fined. The sale of acid over the counter was banned, and Supreme Court also remarked that acid attacks are worse than murder. Despite all this when acid is thrown on a teen school girl, the question raises on the system. 

The system has also provided with compensation scheme and policy for the victims/survivors. Supreme Court also asked for free treatment and a minimum of three lacs compensation to acid attack survivors. But little is known about its implementation of it. The responsible authorities should conduct an assessment of the needs of acid attack survivors. A proposal should be drafted along the lines of how these women can stand strong on their feet instead of just paying them nominal amounts. There is a need for economic empowerment. For instance, a provision can be introduced where corporates must hire acid attack survivors per their skill level and many more. 

The views expressed are the author's own.

Suggested Reading- Despite Having Special Provisions In Law Acid Attacks In India Are Still Rampant; Why?