HYDERABAD: The Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak, that highlights the plight of acid attack victims, has once again brought into focus the action being taken by State governments to curb the menace of acid attacks. When it comes to Telangana, it fared rather badly in 2018 as it saw nearly 10 attacks and five more failed attempts, taking the total to 15 such cases.
With this, Telangana becomes the third most notorious State in acid attacks after West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, where 45 and 33 such cases were reported respectively in 2018, according to a report released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) last week.
The rise in the number of cases is alarming given that in 2016, only one case of acid attack was reported in Telangana and one more in 2017. What is more a cause for concern is the State government’s apathy in punishing the offenders or extending help to the victims, despite the high number of cases reported in 2018.
At present, the acid victims get compensation upto Rs 3 lakh under the government’s victim compensation scheme. But they say they need more support from the government to lead a normal life. The victims suggest that if the authorities cannot completely ban the sale of acid, they should at least support them in different ways till they get on with their lives.
"When I left my abusive husband, I was his target. But he ended up throwing acid on my mother, who suffered 16 per cent burns on her face and neck. It has been two years since the attack, the government has neither given us protection nor restricted the sale of acid. I live in fear thinking I might be attacked by my estranged husband any time," says Saba Tabassum, who hails from Kanchanbagh.
Post the release of Chhapaak movie, in a first step towards helping the victims, the Uttarakhand government has promised to provide pension of Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 every month to the victims. "My mother has undergone two surgeries, but more surgeries are required to restore the skin around her neck completely,"” said Saba Tabassum.
She added that the compensation of Rs 3 lakh that was provided by the government has been spent on her mother’s treatment. "Still, there is more to be taken care of. If the government is sincere in helping us, it should support us till we get back on our feet," adds Saba Tabassum.