“MIRRORS DON’T REFLECT MY SCARS, BUT IN-FACT SHOW THE SPARKLE IN MY EYES”, SAYS SUMAN ALI-THE WARRIOR AGAINST ACID ATTACK
“Just a few drops as one would say, but it changed everything, both within and beyond” said Suman Ali in an interview, a survivor of acid attack by her brother in law and a ferocious warrior who fought the battle of justice against him and won!
She was only 13 years old when her sister’s husband, her brother in law started harassing her. He developed lustful intentions towards her, stalked, blackmailed and compelled her to marry him. When she brought that in the knowledge of her family and sought help, they told her to remain silent. “All accusations landed in my lap. All rapprochements landed in his”, she said as she remembered how helpless she used to feel when she was being silenced and the culprit stood privileged.
After 5 years of persistent threatening and her tenacious rock hard refusal as it hit his flimsy ego, he decided to take his revenge and satisfy his pseudo masculinity by throwing acid on her face.
She decided to file a case against him and after exhausting and weary court proceedings, at-last, justice prevailed. According to the final verdict, he got sentenced to 28 years in jail and a penalty of 2 million rupees. She had won her first war in this battleground. Her next battle ground was people’s mindset.
Even after the plastic surgery, she was being told to cover her face in public, refrain from appearing in front of the guests; she felt as if her identity was being suppressed, as if it was somehow shameful for her that she was a victim of an acid attack. It also became a hurdle in acquisition of a job; it impeded her professional growth because apparently, her face was all that matters. But she abolished that notion, she denied accepting it, she didn’t allow that very perception to bring her morale down.
Her battle took a new turn when she realized that there is a lack of legislation that should deal with the easy access of acid to everyone. She realized that putting one perpetrator behind bars is not sufficient; the root causes should also be dealt lawfully. She told that she is working on the possible legislation against the open and cheap sale of acids, and for this she is determined that she will knock on the door of every law enforcement institutes. “I have a stanch faith that doors will open, both of justice and of people’s mindsets.”
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