A story of her determination and his spirit

Theirs is a story of determination, courage and love. Even in the face of extreme adversity, Alok Dixit and his wife Laxmi, an acid attack survivor, have been continuing their fight against sale of acids in India since the last one decade.
In 2005, Laxmi’s face was ravaged when two youths poured acid on her while she was waiting for a bus in New Delhi, because she had refused to marry one of them. She was just 15 then. Alok, a former journalist, runs a campaign on the social media against acid attacks, Stop Acid Attacks. The two had met when Laxmi decided to step out in the open, eight years after the attack on her, with her face uncovered to protest acid attacks, which she believes are the worst forms of crime against women, and sale of acids in the country.
Alok fell in love with Laxmi’s spirit and courage. “When I met Laxmi, she was very smart and never scared of showing face to the world unlike other acid attack survivors, who usually shy away from society and move with their faces covered. I saw a fighter in her and we fell in love,” he smiles. Laxmi had filed a PIL with the Supreme Court in 2005, after the attack on her, seeking a complete ban on the open sale of acids.
With Alok, she took up the matter at various fora and finally in 2013, the apex court issued directive prohibiting over-the-counter sales of acids. It stated that acid should be treated as poison and the Poison Act 1919 should be applied to regulate its sale, which means vendors will need licence to sell the substance. Laxmi is a recipient of the US State Department’s International Women of Courage award for her campaign to regulate the sale of acid.
Alok says it is extremely painful to see the thousands of women in India who are becoming victims of acid attacks in India. “After the Supreme Court ruling, an amendment in the Indian Penal Code followed, making acid attacks a non-bailable offence. In spite of this, it is disheartening that the open sale of acid in markets continues,” says Alok. Both Alok and Laxmi have been urging the Government seeking proper implementation of ban on sale of acid. “The free sale of acid remains a threat to many women in the country as several cases of acid attacks today go unreported. A proper regulation, and licensing system to sale acids will lessen the threat,” says Laxmi, adding that the way society reacts towards acid survivors is more painful than the physical pain due to acid attacks. She has undergone seven face reconstruction surgeries so far and some more are in the store.
The couple feels quality medical assistance and facilities should be available free of cost for acid attack survivors. Government hospitals lack the medical and para-medical staff who can deal with cases of aid attacks. “Free and quality medical assistance is required as States have failed to guarantee protection to its citizens. Also, the various surgeries in private hospitals cost much more than what middle and lower class families can afford. State assistance becomes necessary in such situation,” says Alok.

The couple says the Government should pay for the full treatment cost of survivors; set up rehabilitation and compensation scheme; and increase the minimum sentence for acid attacks to life imprisonment. On the occasion of World Human Rights Day on December 10 in 2014, Alok and Laxmi opened a cafe in Agra called ‘Sheroes’. The employees in the café are acid attack survivors who have fought back and define themselves as ‘fighters’ and not ‘victims’.  Alok’s Facebook page ‘Stop Acid Attacks’ gets more than 5000 likes every day.  “Our fight would continue till the Government does not take concrete steps in stopping acid violence completely,” says Laxmi.