“Criminals using acid instead of lethal weapons”

Organization Chhanv embarks on six-city tour with acid attack survivors

Indore (Team Newsbuddy). Alok Dixit, founder of NGO Chhanv, which helps acid attack survivors and makes them self-reliant, said that instead of lethal weapons, criminals are making acid their weapon and ruining innocent lives. He said that due to the mentality of attacking the weak, most of the young women in the country become victims of acid attacks.

Dixit was talking to media persons in the ‘Rubaru’ program of State Press Club, MP. He told that in the country, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi, West Bengal have more incidents of acid attacks. In states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the percentage of acid attack incidents is less. According to NCRB data, 39 acid attack incidents have taken place in Madhya Pradesh in the last 6 years, out of which seven cases are from Indore. He told that apart from India, acid attack incidents take place in large numbers in countries like UK, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Instead of knives and swords, criminals have started using acid.

He told that after strict laws came in 2013, life imprisonment has been provided to the criminals who commit acid attack and seven years of punishment to the person who even threatens to commit acid attack. His organization Chhanv is constantly making efforts to ensure that acid attack laws are strictly followed. The attitude of the district administrations in this matter is disappointing because it is the responsibility of the local administration to prevent the sale of acid openly in the market. His organization filed RTIs regarding the purchase and sale of acid and its accounts in many cities of the country but did not get any proper reply. Chhanv founder Alok Dixit told that his organization has set out on a six-city tour from 15th August to 1st September for acid awareness. Seven acid attack survivors along with officials of the NGO are also included in the tour. The tour will pass through Noida, Agra, Indore and end in Mumbai via Shirdi, Pune.

Ajit Kumar, COO of NGO Chhanv, told that his NGO is running Shiroj Cafe, Shiroj Stores, Shiroj TV and Shiroj Caps. Four cafes are running in Agra, Lucknow, Noida and soon cafes will start in Pune and Delhi. Efforts are made to uplift the lives of acid attack survivors through Shiroj. Currently more than 150 survivors are associated with his group and his organization has helped more than 300 acid survivors in treatment. Apart from acid survivors, they also help burn cases and disabled people. The path of help has become easier as his campaign has received support from many big companies of the country. He told that better treatment for acid attack is available in big hospitals of the country. The state government also helps the victims with Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.

Cases of one-sided love are prominent in taking revenge

Acid attack survivors involved in Chhanv’s awareness journey shared their experiences with the media. Kajal Yadav of Jharkhand told that when she was 16 years old and used to go to coaching classes in the village, a boy proposed to her. When she refused, he threatened to kill her brother. When the family filed a police report against the boy in this case, he came to the house and threw acid. Kajal says that even though the accused has got a long sentence, the people of the village still ignore him. The general public behaves abnormally with acid survivors.

Anshu Rajput of Uttar Pradesh told that in the year 2014, when she was 15 years old, a 55-year-old man proposed to her. When she did not agree, she was attacked with acid. After serving a long sentence, the accused has come out on bail in 2022. Antima Sharma told that she was attacked with acid two years ago with the intention of taking revenge, but due to speedy justice, the accused got life imprisonment in just four months.
Rupa told that after the acid attack, the biggest question before her was what would happen to her life, but Chhanv Sanstha came forward and gave her the opportunity to live a life with dignity and employment. She told that earlier the customers who came to Shiroz Cafe used to avoid her by calling her acid attack girls, now the thinking is changing. Many gentlemen customers generously come to our cafe and not only give business but also increase our respect. Julie, Mausami and Preeti also shared their experiences and said that as long as there is a feeling of revenge from the accused in the mind, we are not able to focus on our future goals. We are trying to forget the old incidents and live a new life.

In the beginning, Chhanv founder Alok Dixit, COO Ajit Kumar and the seven survivors were welcomed by Praveen Khariwal, Vijay Gunjal, Sudesh Gupta, Sonali Yadav. Cartoonist Govind Lahoti ‘Kumar’ presented a caricature to Alok Dixit. Meena Rana Shah and Ritu Sahu presented souvenirs. The program was conducted by Yashvardhan Singh.