Acid Attacks: A Burning Injustice

Acid attacks in India are increasing day by day, and the woman who survive it, is forced to live as an outcast. India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) has found that, there have been around 1,483 victims of acid attacks between 2014 to 2018 in our country. As per the National Commission of India acid attack is “any act of throwing acid or using acid in any form on the victim with the intention of or with knowledge that such person is likely to cause to the other person permanent or partial damage or deformity or disfiguration to any part of the body of such person”. Acid attacks are the most atrocious form of violence, especially on women. It can also be called as the gender-based violence against females. Disputes over land, dowries, marriage or love proposal rejections, inheritances etc., often create resentment because of which women are traumatised, disfigured, shamed and outcasted every day for no fault of theirs. Acid attacks kills rarely, but causes severe physical, social and psychological complications. The easily available inexpensive acids make the attackers to use it as an ideal weapon against a female. Most commonly used acids under this crime are sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acid. This paper aims in highlighting the horrendous effects that acid attacks have on the innocent women and explains how acid attack affects survivors’ bodies, minds, and social and economic security