Saving Stolen Faces: The Chhapaak Story
**This story was originally written in 2014. Sadly not much has changed since then.**
Me- Thanks to inflation, twenty bucks can no longer buy you anything.
Friend- It’s enough to shatter dreams.
Me- Huh?
Friend- In India, you can easily procure a bottle of concentrated acid with it.
Me- So?
Friend- Haven’t you heard of acid attacks? A way patriarchy confines women to a life of discrimination and marginalization. Spurned lovers and surprisingly even fathers and strangers have gruesomely targeted everyone they felt was too big for their boots. From the just-in-her-teens-lass to a woman on the threshold of menopause, no one’s been spared the torture.
Acid Attacks aren’t a big deal in India. In a country with horrendous rape stories, we are fairly complacent in our reaction to the acid attack ones. Enough for me to say that it is an underrated crime, in a way that there is not enough awareness about it. In a way that not enough conversations are made about it. In a way that it doesn’t as often make it to narratives of the torture all women have been subjected to.
An attempt to destroy what most women consider their biggest asset, their face, is mercilessness and sheer malice.
The reasons for this crime are plenty.
The-reason-of-all-seasons:
- Mein Mard hoon! (I am the man, unaccepting of rejection and ways that don’t concur with my needs and wants.)
Deeply seeded in the age old patriarchy, men feel they own women and are superior.
Disfiguring faces often equals to destroying identities.
This trivial way of settling scores is seen by the brutal perpetrators as a means to restore their own honour and pride. Shamed by these assaults women end up confining to a veil or even better within the four walls of the house.
2. Screwed up concepts of love often learnt from Hindi Films— It is difficult to take no as an answer. Ek ladki ki naa mein bhi haan chipa hota hai (Even when a woman says NO what she actually means a YES!) This again is deeply seeded in the formerly mentioned, and inherent patriarchy.
And, this is precisely why I see Chhapaak as a coming of age film. A film celebrating the indomitable spirit of a survivor. The fearlessness of the resilience of the human spirit. A film that promises from its first glimpse to help us unlearn all that Hindi films taught us till now- Skin deep beauty and fatal notions of attraction based on it.
Acid attack victims aren’t a political vote-bank here and hence the complete lack of political will to address their grievances. Until sometime back it wasn’t even counted as a crime. There’s no track record or database covered by the National Crime Records Bureau. It’s time we got only licensed shops selling acids only upon production of proper identity proof. The manufacturers must put up a label on the bottles warning the consumers of the harm the acid could do and the consequences of such incidences. It should be ensured that thefts don’t occur in the process of manufacturing, distribution and disposal.
What’s worse is the abysmal healthcare facilities available. There are hardly any wards or doctors for burn injuries in rural areas where most cases are registered. The situation isn’t much better in the metros either.
The government must work diligently to generate more funds for effective rehabilitation programmes. Ensuring justice in stipulated time is essential.
At this juncture it is important for us to pause and learn from our neighbours and their efforts to address the crime in their country.
In case anyone was keeping scores, this would be an instance where our neighbours would have score over us. Dr. Mohammad Jawad of Pakistan performs reconstructive surgeries on victims to undo what the brutal liquid fired did. It ain’t just about a pretty face being destroyed, but of infections, blindness and trauma.
Bangladesh brought legislative amendments that led to a 15–20% decrease in acid violence every year since 2002.
And where are we?
A question we need to ask ourselves.
I am here to express myself explicitly to one of the two categories in which all of us invariably fall-
→ Acid Attack Victims
You aren’t victims as much as fighters; crusaders of courage, determination and optimism in the face of despair.
In a culture that celebrates the fair and lovely , it comes as no surprise that a woman with a scarred face tries to hide behind a veil. This undoubtedly is going to be an unending struggle of acceptance, by self and of society. To let go of one’s vanity and embrace the inner self.
Social hypocrisy and stigma aren’t going to let you live. Your will will! Turn your dreams and aspirations into reality. Defy all rules! The scar talks more of society than you.
After all while it is the criminal who commits the crime it is society that prepares him for it.
→ And to everyone else.
What if it was you? Or your beloved?
Who are we to decide what’s to live or die?
The golden rule goes : Do to others as you would like them to do to you. Be empathetic, sensitive and humane. Stop being a mute spectator. Stand up and speak even when you aren’t a target. Else who will when you are?
The hopeful-cynical optimist in me knows that we are in for a change.
In the end I will quote what Ritu Saini, an acid attack survivor had to say,
‘’In a state notorious for female foeticide, a girl’s birth certifies the progressive outlook of her parents. But that didn’t stop others from making my life a living nightmare; so much so that I think dying in the womb might have been a better option.’’
These are the most powerful words one can utter. We are own Monsters and God. So let’s make a better choice every time we ought to make one!
