Crime - An action or omission which constitutes an offense and is punishable by law.
That is the definition of Crime in Oxford Dictionary.
People who commit crime are called criminals. And this beautiful world of ours is full of criminals.
Daily newspapers these days are full news related to the murders, kidnapping, rapes, robbery, cyber crimes and so on.
Whom do we blame for increasing numbers of crime day by day? Ineffective Law or corrupt politicians and police force.
Well, we will talk about ACID ATTACKS, the most heinous crime, one can ever commit. A Number of acid throwing cases are increasing day by day. According to the statistics provided by ASFI(Acid Survivor Foundation India), 249 instances of acid throwing has been reported in 2015. 106 was reported in 2011. This clearly indicates an exorbitant rise in acid throwing cases. Women's are the main victim of these attacks. This horrendous act of attacking people with acid is happening all over the nation.
You merely need a bottle of acid to carry out these attacks, which are easily accessible everywhere. But attackers don't even consider for a second, what will happen to the victims. Such a cowardly deed. Such attack makes the life of the victim miserable.
When a woman is attacked by acid on the face, it is not only the face she has to cover, she has to overlay all of her identity from the ugly face of our society that doesn't let an acid survivor lead a normal life after the attack.
Her social life is thin down as she cannot face people.
What are the reasons of such dreadful attacks? Why people commit such awful crime?
Personal Problems
Domestic Disputes
Dowry Demands
Weak law and so on.
What law we have to criminalize the attackers?
Until 2013, acid throwing was not even a separate crime.
In 2006, Laxmi, an acid attack survivor (She was attacked in 2005, at the age of 15), filed a PIL. Her PIL sought framing of a new law or amendments to the existing criminal works like IPC, Indian Evidence Act and CrPC for dealing with offenses, besides asking for recompense. She had also pleaded for the total ban on the sale of acid. It took over 6 years for the court to deliver justice in this case.
In 2013, Indian Government amended to the IPC through criminal law (Amendment) Act, 2013, making acid attacks a specific offense. Section 326A and Section 326B were introduced.
326A states, Whoever causes permanent or partial damage or deformity to, or burns or maims or disfigures or disables, any part or parts of the body of a person or causes grievous hurt by throwing acid on or by administering acid to that person, or by using any other means with the intention of causing or with the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and with fine.
326B states, Whoever throws or attempts to throw acid on any person or attempts to administer acid to any person, or attempts to use any other means, with the intention of causing permanent of partial damage or deformity of burns or maiming or disfigurement, or disability or grievous hurt to that person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than five years, but which may extend to seven years and also be liable to fine.
On the sale of acid, there is a law which forbids the sale of acid unless the seller maintains a record of buyers and many other restrictions.
But the ground reality is completely different, acids are being bought easily, no one worries about the court's order. This Law neither effectively addresses the Gravity of acid attacks nor does it adequately help the acid attack survivors. India has to bring tougher law to tackle this. We need to learn from our neighbors Bangladesh. In 2002, Bangladesh introduced the death penalty for acid attacks and laws strictly controlling the sale, use, storage, and international trade of window panes. Since then, acid throwing instances in Bangladesh is decreasing day by day.
Society's role as well increases in such attacks. We need to accept them equally, they were before acid attacks. The Cowardly act of few people doesn't make them victims, they are fighters. We have to get along with them and work for their promising future. It's the task of society to bring the smile on their face. They are real heroes. We need to treat them like heroes, not victims. Many establishments are working for the betterment of their lives, we also have to play our part and help them live a happy life.
There is a café in AGRA (Sheroes Hangout) Where most of the employees are acid attack victims. We need more café or workplace like this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-4799f705-bc19-4b9f-8391-1f955f800d2a
#SkillsNotScars initiative is helping acid attack victims to find employment
http://makelovenotscars.org/skills/
Mostly acid attack heroes are female, but there are also accounts of men attacked by acids. One of such story is of Iqbal's.
Iqbal was a passionate dancer who performed a dance with his family during wedding processions. One night, after rejecting the sexual advances of another man, Iqbal had a bottle of acid emptied over his head. Iqbal was left without eyesight and his lips and neck were so badly burnt that eating was agony. He was just 15 years old.
Read full story of Iqbal here-
http://www.acidviolence.org/index.php/survivors/stories/survivor-story-Iqbal/pakistan
It's high time that we get united and fight for acid attack heroes. It only takes seconds to ruin someone's life, but to rebuild the life, it takes years. It's the time to rebuild, it's the time to oppose acid attacks.
For more detail information on acid attacks-
Leaving you with stories of our heroes.