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Acid attack survivors help people beat Delhi heat one sherbet glass at a time: ‘Himmat aur taazgi ka perfect combo’
“Beat the heat with heroes on the street,” read one of the posters stuck on the sherbet stall by acid attack survivors in Delhi’s Nizamuddin.
“Jalti hui dhoop me (acid se) jale hue log de rhe hain rahat [In the scorching heat, victims of acid burns offering solace],” 39-year-old Shaheen Malik told HT.com while handing a glass of sherbet to an auto driver. Joining her were four other survivors - Preeti, Sumitra, Reshma, and Reema - distributing sherbet to passersby at their stall near Hazrat Nizamuddin Police Station.
Read| Meet Shaheen Malik, acid attack survivor who is empowering lives of other victims
40-year-old Malik, who herself is an acid attack survivor, further adds, “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 setup in Nizamuddin had several posters stuck on it to create awareness among people. One poster read, “Himmat aur taazgi ka perfect combo,” while another read, “Beat the heat with heroes on the street.”
“Stop acid attack” took centre stage at the stall and was the main focus of the awareness drive.
While many people quickly took the sherbet and left, others stayed to read the posters on the stall. A few even discussed the acid attack and 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 said, “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 at their level, they expressed that they would tell other people about the acid attack and how it burns the skin and leaves a scar for a lifetime.
Many people, who were cooling themselves off through the drink in Delhi’s sweltering heat, didn’t know what acid attack is. They, however, got to know only after seeing the survivors and reading the posters.
The survivors were assisted by Parvez Khan, Fardeen Ali, Tuba, Mansi, Amir, and Rose in preparing the sherbet and pouring it into glasses for 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 Braves Souls Foundation, further told HT.com. The foundation runs shelter home Apna Ghar and has so far transformed the lives of over 300-plus survivors.
What is an acid attack?
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.
For any emergency assistance, please call the women’s helpline number 112.
National Commission for Women helpline number 7827170170
