Lok Charcha: An insight on acid attacks in India
There are some vices in the society that leave permanent scars on the lives of people. Lok Marg along with Chhanv Foundation organized a panel discussion, with Sonia Chowdhary, who is a campaigner and a fighter and works with Stop Acid Attacks and is a member of Sheroes. She has campaigned regularly to regulate Acid sale in retail shops.
Sonia Chowdhary
Sonia was attacked with Acid in 2004. Since then, she has not only fought with the society for her integrity, but has also taken care of her family, and has also raised a wonderful daughter Khushi, who is 8 years old. Other panelists included Ashish Shukla who is a campaigner with the Stop Acid Attacks movement.
Ashish is the convener of Chhanv Foundation, which is struggling to make Acid Attacks an issue to fight for. Jasdev Rai works as an Otolaryngologist and is the Honorary Director of Sikh Human Rights Group since 1989 and visiting Clinical Professor on Human Rights at the American University of Sovereign Nations, Arizona. He is also General Secretary of the British Sikh Consultative Forum and Chair of Worldviews of Nature Project. The session was moderated by journalist Avijit Chakravarty.
The Panelists
He discussed about how the sale of acid is going on without any rationing. This allows the executers of the crime to get their weapons easily. There are also some problems in the society itself which doesn’t allow the victims back into the mainstream, due to the negative perspective of society. The society questions the victims with their preconceived notions and accuses them of doing something wrong.
Jasdev Rai talked about how the human rights should be distributed equally and should not be biased.
Sonia Chowdhary also urged the parents not to teach their kids that Men don’t cry, instead to teach that men don’t make the women cry.
The panel also discussed the solution to the problems. They said that men can learn if they are taught correct things as kids. When they grow, they would understand the effects of acid. So they would understand that they should, instead of defacing, face their concerns and tackle then productively.
A thought to implement
Sonia had said that it affects them and friends make fun of them, or they feel frustrated and yet their pride and ego gets hurt.
“I don’t have the power? Whether it is acid attack or rape, it is about power projection. In most of the cases, rape is not about sex, but is about the projection of power. It’s not about sex, it’s about the strength show. On the family level, we are constricting girls, instead of trying to counsel the guys and make them understand, that rejection doesn’t mean that you aren’t “Man” enough or are inferior, it can have several other meanings, like the other person might be in love, or it also means that she isn’t in the same mindset as them and doesn’t feel the way that they do. We have to burst their egoistic bubbles.”
Ashish Shukla posed a very thoughtful question: Why is love so violent, and if it is this violent, is it love?
Avijit making a point
Love isn’t about harming, it is about caring. The media and the society has painted the picture of the mad crazy lover.”
“They follow a trend. All my friends have girlfriends, why should I be left behind? If I am not in a relationship, it affects me. Everyone has a girlfriend, I don’t have one, that’s why they want to “acquire” that status. This objectifies, the woman, hence, separates the compassion, and makes the guy execute this heinous act. Movies and media plays a big role in stuffing these in the brains of young minds. They show the eccentricities in a very positive light, where movies like Aashiqui show the eccentric and psychopathic nature of the people. “
“Young people imitate the actors they like, hence they start thinking along such lines. Movies have fed the minds, that a person is only romantic, when he/she is crazy. Peer pressure, in school, make us think that we can’t do anything and that makes us feel frustrated and vengeful. We try to prove, that we are not worthless. Now a person can go two ways, and turn the revenge into something positive and productive, in order to prove their worth, or they can vent out their anger and frustration negatively by doing these things. We will have to make them understand that the positive way is the only way how they should act.”
The audience listening intently
Ashish talked about a story that his mother had told him, about her spinsterhood. “She wasn’t married, she was wearing a white dress. There was a guy sitting beside the well, and upon seeing my mother, he whistles and passed a snide comment, saying “How can you wear widow clothes while I am alive.” My mother did nothing, but her two sisters, went to the guy and held him by hugging him, they started applying force and left him unconscious. Then they went to the village and in front of the panchayat “Village court” She told the whole story. The man was punished. My dad was there, in the panchayat, and that was when he fell in love with my mother.
He went up to her with folded hands, and asked her for marriage.”
We are manufacturing kids, rather than producing them. We shouldn’t pressurize them to achieve things that would make them frustrated, rebellious and cynical. Rather, they should be taught to be a better person.
“We are all culpable of the acid attacks and all the other atrocities and I, on behalf of everyone, sincerely apologize.” said Ashish.
