Pak documentary touches a chord among city's

The documentary 'Saving Face' on acid attack victims that won Pakistan its first Oscar has touched a chord among women in India, too. Hundreds of women in both these countries face the catastrophic effects of acid attacks and grapple with the trauma and deformities for the rest of their lives.
Twenty-two-year-old Aarti Thakur, the most recent victim of such at attack in the city, suffers from pain, sleeplessness and tremendous anxiety.Nearly a month after the attack, and three skin grafting surgeries, she is now recuperating at her house in Nalasopara. The fact that she was attacked in the middle of a busy Goregaon station has only worsened the trauma for her. "I cannot stay alone at home even for a minute. The pain, burning sensation has been haunting me. I wake up shivering at night thinking , 'What if I am attacked again?'," she said.
Thakur, who financially supported her mother and sister before she was attacked, says she does not want to return to her workplace. "Those who attacked me know the address of my office. I don't want to go back there," she said adding that she has lost the nerve to even step out of the house alone. Thakur summarized what most of the acid attack victims experience by saying that her life has been changed forever.
"I will never look normal again," she said. She cannot move two of her fingers on the left hand, and her face is disfigured.
Experts say the effects of acid can be "horrific on the human skin" . Plastic surgeon Dr Sunil Keswani, who has treated several acid attack victims, said that most of the time concentrated hydrochloric or sulfuric acid is used. "It could melt skin tissue, exposing the bones and in worse cases, even melt the bone," he said. In a majority of cases, the acid is thrown at the victim's face, which could damage vital organs like face, eyes, ears, nose, etc permanently . Keswani said the government's apathy to this gruesome act of violence is underscored by the fact that there is no database to record such cases . Activists believe that every year more than 200-300 cases of acid attack take place in the country.
Crusader for acid attack victims Sanad Mane, who keeps a record of such attacks in the state, said that about 188 cases of acid attacks took place in Maharashtra in the last 22 years, of which nearly 30 were in Mumbai. "Of course, the numbers could be underreported as many do not lodge police complaints," he said.
While, statistics are scare, it has been observed by experts that about 60% of the victims are women, followed by children and men. The causes can range from rejection to love or marriage proposals, dowry demands and property disputes, among others.
The healing say psychologists could be a lifelong process as victims, more often than not, are forced to give up their education or livelihood. "The physical healing itself takes a very long time during which they are not in a state to listen to words of encouragement," said Dr Maya Kirpalani , consulting psychologist and family therapist , Jaslok Hospital.
"The next step is acceptance from family. If the victim has a child, it becomes more difficult as the child may not want to come close to a disfigured face," she added.
Coping With Trauma
l Victims are in so much trauma that counselling and mental healing takes a backseat as doctors have to treat the burn injuries l Patients need more than just one surgery. After the initial treatment phase, patients need anywhere between three to 20 surgeries depending on the severity of the injuries l Most victims grapple with functional deformities that even surgeries cannot completely heat
Psychological Trauma
Psychiatrists say that the victim's psychological scars almost always never heal. l Family members, especially the victim's children, need counselling
Financial Burden
Families are drained financially as each surgery can cost a minimum of Rs 50,000 and can go up to Rs 2 lakh
Legal Stand
l There are no special sections in the Indian Penal Code to deal specifically with acid attacks. The incidents are mostly recorded under: Section 320 (grievous hurt), 322 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 325 (imprisonment of for a term which may extend to seven years, and liable to fine), 326 (causing grievous hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing, by means of fire, poison or any corrosive substance) of the Indian Penal Code. l The sections commonly used to book attackers provide a 'wide discretion' to court. Jail time can very from a few months imprisonment to a couple of years
Angry Husband | Sewri-based housewife R Mahanavar (39) can never forget the afternoon when she had acid thrown at her face by her second husband. The incident had happened in Pune nine years ago, but the memories of the attack still haunt her. Her face, neck and elbow were burnt. To date, she is unable to move her hands properly. The opening of her mouth is so narrow that she cannot eat with ease. She also has difficulty closing her eyes as the skin gets pulled. Mahanavar's decision to walk out of her second marriage had upset her husband who threw acid on her when she stepped out to buy groceries.
Past Cases
Spurned Lover | V Kannan (30), a commerce graduate had just taken up the job of a marketing executive with a financial company when she was attacked. She was the only earning member of her family. One afternoon, as she stepped out of her house in Mira Road, a friend from her college who professed ton be in love with her, threw acid on her face. The incident happened in 2009. Luckily, for Kannan, her injuries were not debilitating. She sustained burn marks on her hands and her right foot. "I wanted to press charges but his family apologized and paid for my treatment. I couldn't sleep after the attack," she said.
Mistaken Identity | Bharati Kadam (58) from Sholapur was a victim of acid violence due to a mistaken identity. The attack took place in 2008. "The attackers came to my building with the intention of throwing acid on a 20-something girl who lived there. In their haste, they flung the acid on me and burnt my face and chest," she said. She came to Mumbai to be treated. Her injuries make it difficult for her to drink water or hold food in her mouth. "Due to want of money, I have been living with it. Doctors say I would need at least seven surgeries to even regain some of the normal functions of my face. But in four years, I have managed to collect money only for one," she said.