Acid Attacks : A menance for Society

Introduction :  Acid attacks are one among the heinous crimes done against the women, and children. A few but very less cases occur against men too, which again remain a source of worry. Acid attacks are server as these cause irreversible damage to the body, enormous amount of pain which is both physical and psychological. DOWNLOAD APP

Present Scenario in India- The Latest report of National Crime Bureau – 2016 recorded 283 incidents of acid attack.  26% of these acid attacks were from West Bengal State, while 56 cases were from Uttar Pradesh. 

Acid attack is often use for revenge against a woman who denies to accept the love proposal, or by husbands to victimize their wives and children. 

Reasons for Acid Attacks-   The main reason for acid attacks remains that availability of acid in the Market. There are numerous ways to get acid, some of them are as follow-

-          Regularity Failures – Even though there has been ban on the sale of the acid, yet acid remains available which indicates the regulatory failures

-          Substitute or alternative of acids are available in hardware shops

-          Acid is so widely available even in those areas where electricity has not reached

-          Pilfering (means – stealing) of the chemicals- Nitric acid is used for refining gold. Some workers steal a small amount of chemical and sell it for few bucks without thinking that it may lead someone to life time agony.

-          Acid is used in garment factory-  Acid is used widely and remains available from one source or from another. 

Preventive Measures-  Upto 2013 the Punishment for such a heinous crime was only 3 years of jail. Later the Ciminal Law Amendment Act 2013 was passed and two news sections – 326A and 326 B were added in IPC (Indian Penal Code). These sactions lay down punishment for attempted acid throwing  which includes minimum 5 to 7 years of Jail.
In Laxmi Vs Union of India case the Supreme Court has laid down the clear guidelines on ‘Compensation to be paid’. Yet in states efforts are there to dilute such provisions. 

A way ahead- The problem still persists in society where victims are sometimes feel difficult to get the compensation, medical treatment and in some cases their own families abandon them. It is a governance failure for sure but more than that it is a moral failure which exists in societies, where women is treated as subordinate. To gain control over her remains the utmost priority, in such society such heinous crimes will be occurring. To bring the change more moral education should be spread with the help of NGO’s and adding these topics in educational schedule. Bangladesh effective tackled with the menace of acid attacks, so certain lessons can be learnt from neighbour.