7 Acid Attack Survivors Who Did Not Let Their Scars Dampen Their Spirits

Acid attack is one of the worst pains that can be inflicted upon a person. The intention of these attacks may not be to kill the person but to scar them for life. Such heinous crimes are often committed when people cannot take no for an answer and their ego takes over their sanity.

However, there are people out there who have not just survived these attacks but are also unwilling to let their scars dampen their spirits. They are braving all odds in a manner that will make every other problem that you crib about in your regular life, sound insignificant.

Here’s celebrating the strength of these 7 amazing women who will surely inspire you:

Laxmi Saa

Laxmi was attacked with acid at the age of 16 for rejecting sexual advances of a 32-year-old man in Delhi. While the society assumed that she would lock herself in the house for years, she came out with her head held high. She got the accused arrested and filed a petition in Supreme Court for regulation on the sale of acid in 2006. Following which she started helping other survivors of acid attacks and found Chhanv Foundation. She also shattered stereotypes by becoming a face of a fashion brand.

She fell in love with fellow activist Alok Dixit and challenged the societal norms by not getting married and by being in a live-in relationship. The couple was blessed with a daughter in 2015. Director Meghna Gulzar will soon make a movie based on Laxmi’s life that will also star actor Deepika Padukone.

Reshma Bano Qureshi

Reshma Bano Qureshi was attacked with acid by her brother-in-law who mistook her for his wife. Reshma felt suicidal as her face was left disfigured. She also lost her one eye completely post the attack. However, she picked herself up and became the face of “Make Love Not Scars” campaign which helps other acid attack victims. She made beauty tutorials online and featured on online campaign #EndAcidSale.

She took the world by surprise when she opened for designer Archana Kochhar and walked the ramp in 2016 New York Fashion Week.

Monica Singh

From an acid attack survivor to becoming a New York fashionista, Monica Singh has come a long long way. She was attacked with acid by a man she refused to marry. The attack burnt 7 layers of skin and 46 surgeries to recover. However, she did not let her dreams of entering the fashion industry go in vain. She pulled herself together and is now a New York-based fashion designer. She has a built a foundation for women in India and New York that help rape, domestic violence, and acid attack survivors.

Mohini Kumar

Her world turned upside down after a man threw a jug full of acid on her face just because she refused to marry him. Even though she contemplated suicide considering how brutal the society can be, she took up a job after undergoing surgeries. Today, she is a fighter who now deals with crime complaints in Delhi Commission for Women. She met her husband after speaking to him over the phone for three years.

He proposed to her the first time he met her.

Shabbo Sheikh

Shabbo Sheikh was just a month old when her father threw acid on her and her mother’s face. Reason? Her mother had given birth to a girl. While Shabbo survived, her mother succumbed to her injuries. She grew up in an orphanage and did not let the strange stares deter her spirits.

She finished her education and joined a company as an HR executive and there has been no looking back since then.

Rangoli

Sister of popular Bollywood actress, Kangana Ranaut is an acid attack survivor. It was only recently that she revealed the gory details of the attack. A man flung acid on her face when she was 23-years-old. She had to undergo 57 surgeries to get the disfigured face right. She has expressed a desire to start a production house of her own.

Sonia Shaikh

Sonia Shaikh, a trans-woman is not just an acid attack survivor but was also allegedly raped by a person she had known for a long time. Sonia had a troubled childhood since her father and brother did not approve of her love for dancing. She left home to live with the transgender community. It was in 2015 that her friend allegedly raped her and attacked her with acid all because she refused his advances. She was shunned by people during job interviews where some told her to dance at traffic signals to earn money. She recently starred in India’s first transgender web-series directed by Rachana Mudraboyina.

Check it out here:

Hats off to these women.