April 20, 2015

ACID ATTACKS: WHAT INDIA SHOULD LEARN FROM BANGLADESH

[Around 90-95% of victims of such incidents are women and most of them survive. But the mental trauma continues to haunt them throughout their life. The survivors are always looked down as victims. They are marginalized in the society owing to their physical deformities and accompanying disabilities.]
By Shruti Srivastava 

New Delhi: Acid attack victims are often left to the empathy of others, but what we must learn from these harrowing cases is their brave battle against societal stigma.

Few days back national capital witnessed yet another goring incident of acid being hurled at a 30-year-old woman doctor by two motorcycle-borne assailants’ yesterday in Rajouri Garden.
The lady, employed with Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital, was attacked around 9.30 a.m. and rushed to AIIMS. The victim suffered 45 percent burn, on her face and head, and is reported to be out of danger.
Ironically, the incident has come at the time when the victim was prepping to step up into her marital life in next four months.
Around 90-95% of victims of such incidents are women and most of them survive. But the mental trauma continues to haunt them throughout their life. The survivors are always looked down as victims. They are marginalized in the society owing to their physical deformities and accompanying disabilities.
India is among the top three countries having largest number of such incidents. Neighboring country Bangladesh has the highest reported acid assaults in the world.

India might surpass Bangladesh soon due to the growing number of acid attacks as number of such incidents in latter continue to decline.
Bangladesh government's proactive initiative led to steady decline in number of acid attacks in the Muslim country by 15% to 20% since 2002. As per facts complied by the Acid Survivors Foundation in Bangladesh only 91 such incidents were witnessed in the country during 2011. Acid Survivors Foundation is an NGO helping survivors with medical and legal aid.
In combating such evil from society Bangladesh government adopted stringent laws criminalizing acid violence and requiring business users of acid to obtain licenses.
In year 2002, ACCA (Acid Crime Control Act) & ACA (Acid Control Act) laws were introduced by the government. ACCA heightened the penalties and created special court procedures for acid attack cases, while ACA or Acid Control Act helped Bangladeshi government to keep a control, regulate, monitor the use, sale, purchase, storage, transportation, import, and export of acid in the country.

Learning from Bangladesh, India too must come forward to put an end to acid violence, and for this Indian government and NGO's must address the root cause which is primarily, availability of acid, gender inequality and discrimination, in addition to the core reason which is - impunity of perpetrators.
Even there is greater need of creating awareness about such incidents. Unfortunately, often, these victims fail to get basic first-aid. In most cases, victim's and local residents lack of knowledge to treat burns, and immediate first comes as the first failure.

Victim must be helped in rinsing thoroughly and completely the areas with water to neutralize the acid. Milk, in case of availability, must be continuously poured on their burned area until the vapors of acid start residing.
India as a nation is busy while taking economy lessons from the west and China should also incorporate some learnings from underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh to curb the menace of acid attacks.