Chhaon has helped the victims unwind, share their life's struggles and face the world with confidence.
New Delhi: While there are acid attack survivors who are struggling to come to terms with the life after the ghastly incident, there are others who have braced up themselves to get together and fight for their rights and stop the rising incidents of acid attacks. Chhaon is one such initiative which provides a shadow of hope to hundreds of acid attack victims. ALSO SEE SC directs states to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to acid attack victims, regulates acid sale At the heart of this initiative is Laxmi, an acid attack survivor herself, who had submitted a petition in the Supreme Court in 2006, seeking a ban on the sale of the toxic liquid, leading to the increasing number of attacks on women.

Forced to use veil due to scarred faces which are telltale signs of their fight against acid attacks, the survivors have joined Chhaon, an initiative of the Stop Acid Attacks campaign. They have been celebrating the Supreme Court order restricting over-the-counter sales of acid and they are also welcoming a new member to this group. "I did not speak or talk to anyone when i first joined the group, but it gradually gave me hope," says a survivor who has recently joined the group. Chhaon seeks to provide the acid attack survivors a sanctuary where they can make friends, unwind, share their life's struggles and reach out to each other. Laxmi has ensured that the acid attack survivors join Chhaon and has also worked towards maintaining their case records and counselling for them. "When I joined the group, I felt hopeful and so I also encouraged my friends who have been acid attack survivors to join Chhaon," she says. The Supreme Court on July 18, in response to the petition filed by Laxmi, gave the ruling to regulate the sale of acids and other corrosive substances. The Supreme Court had directed the crime to be made a non-bailable offence and had enhanced the compensation amount to be paid to the victims to Rs 3 lakh. The survivors have welcomed the order by the Supreme Court to ban the over-the-counter sales of acid with a belief that the endeavour will limit the cases of rising attacks on the women.