Keeping up with UP | Acid attacks continue as laws fail to stop them, focus shifts to other crimes
West Bengal tops the list, according to official data from 2022, followed by Uttar Pradesh as laws fail to serve as a deterrent
“I find your face very beautiful, now more beautiful,” the then seven-year-old Pihu whispered softly, hugging her mother Laxmi, an acid attack survivor, whose grit and determination had made global headlines in the mid-2000s.
Laxmi was 15 years old when a 32-year-old man, angered by her refusal to marry him, had thrown acid on her. Since then, she has been fighting for the rights of acid attack survivors and has won battles and laurels.
But it was her daughter’s compliment that made her the happiest mom.
Pihu was barely four years old when she first asked her mother why she looked different. But her innocent queries were not answered.
“She was a baby, I did not want to share the gory details — the painful incident-- as I did not want her to live with fear,” said Laxmi, when I called her after reading about an acid attack case in Lucknow in early July 2024.
Laxmi and Pihu, along with other acid attack survivors, visited the Hindustan Times office in Lucknow after they had staged a fashion show, ‘I am Beautiful’, at the HT Women Awards event in 2014.
Pihu finally found her answers at the age of seven from social media: She searched her mother’s painful story on YouTube, the area where she lived, the school where she studied, and the spot where she was attacked. She became emotional. With tears, she hugged her and said, “I find your face more beautiful, now more beautiful.”
“It was my life’s best compliment,” said an excited Laxmi, who is a single mother after she separated from Pihu’s father Alok Dixit, also an activist, who too campaigned relentlessly to get justice for survivors. “He is a very good father, takes very good care of Pihu, supports her and she also likes to stay and spend time with him.” Pihu is now nine years old and focused on academics.
Despite increased awareness and acceptability, acid attacks are still being used as a weapon of vendetta in personal or family matters. West Bengal tops the list with 35 cases of acid attacks and another seven attempts to acid attack, followed by Uttar Pradesh, with 25 and one respectively in 2022, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. In all, there were 124 acid attack cases and 140 acid attack attempts in the country in the same year.
"The cases continue, they get highlighted also from time to time but it is the change in the mindset of the society that is infusing strength in survivors to resume their lives after treatment. They are getting married even to normal boys. Rehabilitation also means employment and it’s not easy to find decent jobs," said Laxmi.
Though many may believe it to be a gender issue, the fact is, that even men have fallen victim to this gruesome crime.
It was in September 2021 and Prince was doing his Bachelor's in Computer Application in Surat and working at a shop. The wife of the shopkeeper attacked him with acid only to prove to her husband she had no illicit relationship with him. Two years later, he not only walked the ramp at a Hyderabad event but is also working with Indigo Airlines at Gurugram. “The treatment continues after three surgeries. I did not want to face the world, but Laxmi came and motivated me to resume a normal life saying you will come through this and look what I have.”
Prince, now 22 years old, saw Meghna Gulzar’s biopic on Laxmi’s life and struggle Chhapaak, after the attack on him. When he was told to walk the ramp, he hesitated, not knowing how the audience would react but then the response was huge.
However, he said, despite increased awareness and acceptability, acid attacks continue. “You get to hear one or two cases every month.”
Awareness not punishment could be the solution, he said. “After all, the perpetrator of the crime also suffers. The couple who threw acid on me have to come to court, all the way from Rajasthan – unsure of their future.”
“As I travel from the metro, many ask me what should be done. I say create awareness in every mohalla.”
Laxmi, whose foundation supports acid attack survivors like Prince, wants more organisations and companies to come forward to offer jobs; it’s not only hard to get jobs but they also come at a low salary.
After the Supreme Court ordered free facilities for reconstructive surgery, free medicines, beds, rehabilitation and aftercare, acid attack survivors are hopeful of leading a normal life. But they want rehabilitation. This is where the state governments need to act.
Besides speedy justice, acid attack victims also demand a check on the free sale of lethal acid in the market. “We did a campaign in Lakshmi Nagar in Delhi. Most of the shopkeepers themselves decided to stop the sale of acid as they said, ‘We were not aware.’ As many as 500 shopkeepers signed shapath patra (affidavit). It’s a positive change. Many a time, they themselves decide to stop selling acid. Maybe a little more proactive administration can help check its sales," said Laxmi.
Sunita Aron is a consulting editor with the HT based in Lucknow. You can find her on X as @overto. The weekly column, Keeping up with UP tackles everything from politics to social and cultural mores in the country's most populous state. The views expressed are personal.
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