“Amidst the scorching heat, victims of acid attacks are offering solace,” 39-year-old Shaheen Malik told HT.com while handing a glass of sherbet to an auto driver. Alongside her were four other survivors – Preeti, Sumitra, Reshma, and Reema – distributing sherbet to passersby at their stall near Hazrat Nizamuddin Police Station.
Malik, a 40-year-old acid attack survivor, mentioned, “Acid attack survivors are not advised to go out in the sun. They are advised to avoid direct sunlight. However, we have still put up this stall to raise awareness among people.”
Their stall in Nizamuddin displayed several posters aimed at creating awareness. One poster read, “The perfect combo of courage and freshness,” while another read, “Beat the heat with heroes on the street.”
The main focus of the awareness drive was “Stop acid attack,” prominently displayed at the stall.
While some people quickly accepted the sherbet and left, others stayed to read the posters on the stall. A few even discussed the issue of acid attacks and suggested that the government should ban the sale of acid.
“We learned about acid attacks from the 2020 film Chhapaak. No one should throw acid on others and leave them scarred for life,” a group of teenagers standing near the stall told HT.com.
The teenagers, Rahul Yadav (17), Rohit Shah (17), and Puneet Chaudhary (19), further expressed, “People die by suicide after surviving an acid attack, and these people (survivors at the stall) are a hope for other survivors.”
When asked how they would spread awareness, they mentioned that they would inform others about acid attacks and how they can cause lifelong scars.
Many people cooling off with the drink in Delhi’s sweltering heat were unaware of acid attacks until they saw the survivors and read the posters.
The survivors were assisted by Parvez Khan, Fardeen Ali, Tuba, Mansi, Amir, and Rose in preparing the sherbet and serving it to the passersby.
“We have served sherbet to over 3,000 people. If not all, at least some would have noticed us (survivors) and read our posters spreading awareness about acid attacks,” Malik, the founder of Brave Souls Foundation, further stated. The foundation runs a shelter home, Apna Ghar, and has transformed the lives of over 300-plus survivors.
An acid attack involves throwing acid or a similar substance on the body of another person to injure or disfigure them. These attacks often result in severe physical and psychological trauma, including burns, scarring, and sometimes blindness.