Three strong women and stories of sheer grit

Courage, perseverance and resolve are the three words that describe Asha Devi (mother of Nirbhaya),

Laxmi Agarwal

(activist for acid attack survivors) and Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi (renowned LGBTQ activist) aptly. Recently, these three women were in the city and they narrated stories of their struggles to a packed audience at a convention centre in Hitec City. Each one shared a moving story about their ordeal, their constant fight with the judiciary and the society and how today they have emerged as an inspiration for thousands across the country against all odds. Speaking about the struggles her daughter faced, a teary-eyed Asha Devi spoke about the relentless fight she fought for six years to give justice to

Nirbhaya

. She said that seeing her daughter on her death bed gave her the strength to fight for the rights of women across India. “I remember how she used to ask for water when she was in the hospital and I had to say no. Her body was mutilated to such an extent that we could not even give her water to drink. She survived for 10 days in excruciating pain and her pain became my strength to fight for justice,” said Asha Devi.

Similarly, Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor, spoke about how the acid attack in 2005 moulded her into a new person — both physically and mentally. She even penned down a few words for the perpetrator. “Jab aapko yeh baat pata chalegi ki jis chehre ko aapne tezaab se jalaya; ab mujhe ussi chehre se pyaar hai; jab aapko woh malum padega to woh waqt aapko kitna satayega,” were her words that reverberated across the hall and received a thundering applause from the audience.

Today, Laxmi is a campaigner for ‘Stop Sale Acid’ — a movement to stop the illegal sale of acid — and has helped revive the lives of many survivors.
The final speaker for the evening was Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, India's first transgender to represent her community at the UN. Her strong persona on stage won the hearts of many, and chief guest — Tollywood actor, Jagapati Babu — was seemingly moved by her discourse. Lakshmi spoke about the importance of self-love and self-acceptance. “Never let society dictate you what to do, be your own boss and love yourself,” said Lakshmi, urging people to live and let live.