Stalker attacks women in Ghaziabad; A letter to the Media

Nisha, the victim of acid attack

Dear friends,

You had been asking how efficient the regulation of acid sale ordered by the Supreme Court on July 18 would be in controlling acid attacks. You had also been questioning if the recent directions will improve the way acid burn victims are treated in this country.

We witnessed the answer today when we went to meet Nisha, another victim of acid attack who was admitted at the MMG district hospital, Ghaziabad, on July 26, after a married man who stalked her for four years threw acid on her. Nisha, 22, who lives in Vijay Nagar in Ghaziabad, used to work as a domestic help and is a mother of two.

Barely a week after the Supreme Court pulled up the government and the media criticized it for being “insensitive” and “irresponsible” towards acid attack victims, we saw Nisha lying without any critical care, as required to treat her almost half burnt body, at the government hospital in Ghaziabad. It took a lot of effort from Laxmi and Alok to convince her family to take Nisha to Safdarjung Hospital immediately. We admitted her there around midnight and her treatment was started.

Laxmi was saddened by the way acid violence continues to corrode women's lives in this country. But, she spoke to Nisha with courage, giving her strength to bear the turmoil she understands very well. It pains her to know that more and more women are going through the same trauma that turned her beautiful world upside down and changed the meaning of life.

Laxmi, another acid attack survivor is looking after Nisha in Hospital.

We will get to know more about Nisha's condition and treatment possibilities from the doctors by Saturday morning, 11am. We request you to join us at Safdarjung Hospital as we plan to head to the Home Ministry along with Laxmi from there.

We would also like to draw your attention towards an answer to another of media's frequent question here:

Sunday, July 21- Ruby Gupta, 26, Muraina- Dead

Monday, July 22- Pramila, 28, attacked by two motorcycle-born men in Basti

Friday, July 25- Nisha, 22, Ghaziabad, attacked by stalker, 40-50% burns-at ICU in Safdarjung

So, three cases a week, and it is because you are alert and keeping a track of such cases now. I am sure many more such incidents of violence against women went unreported throughout the country within the same week. Hence, it is important that we understand that the number of survivors are much more than the few we have been able to reach out to; the friends you have met at 'Chhanv'.

We request you to stand by us in this fight against a severe injustice in the society and a very brutal form of violence. It is not just the government's responsibility to curb such a menace, but that of the society as a team.

A photo while Nisha was being lifted to Safdarjang Hospital in New Delhi.

We want to interact with you because we think only more and more discussion over this grave crime will help us understand how best it can be controlled. As children who have grown up in this soil, we must realize how regulations work in this country. Made-to-perfection bullets are difficult to regulate. How will the State regulate acid, which is manufactured by numerous small scale units, and is sold even by vendors in rural areas and towns.

Let us now also see if Rs 3 lakh are enough to rehabilitate these girls and if they are even provided the amount by the government in time. In this case, we could reach out to the victim immediately and get her to Safdarjung, but we wonder what about victims in other parts of the country? Women are left without proper care for hours even after being attacked until it is too late to save their organs. This excruciating crime needs to stop.

Waiting with hope,

Stop Acid Attacks

Contacts: 9717900302, 9873139134, 9958066951, 8826268419

COURTESY: Stop Acid Attacks