MPs call for swift justice in acid attack cases

Roundtable discussion in New Delhi urges stricter laws & support for victims

A roundtable discussion held earlier this week in New Delhi united Members of Parliament, lawyers and activists to address the cases of acid attacks, calling for stricter laws, enhanced rehabilitation, and societal change to support survivors.

With repeated incidents of acid attacks being reported from across India, experts including parliamentarians, lawyers, human right activists and social workers urged for stricter implementation of laws and swifter justice in acid attack cases.

This call was made at a round table discussion organised recently in Delhi, where Sanjay Singh, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, in collaboration with Brave Souls Foundation (BSF), an activist organisation led by an acid attack, brought together Members of Parliament, legal experts, and activists for a roundtable discussion at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi to address the pressing issue of acid attacks and gender-based violence.

According to a press statement by the organisers of the event, the discussion saw active participation by MPs, including Pramod Tiwari, Jaya Bachchan and Tiruchi N Siva.

The statement adds that the discussions revolved around the multifaceted challenges faced by survivors such as legal, medical, and social and the policy interventions required to address these issues effectively.

The statement says that in the opening session, Singh stressed the importance of preventing acid attacks through stricter regulations and ensuring swift justice for survivors. He pledged to escalate these concerns in Parliament.

Additionally, the statement says that Shaheen Malik, BSF Founder and an acid attack survivor herself, highlighted the devastating impact of such attacks and called for stricter enforcement of Supreme Court guidelines on free medical treatment while proposing a Model Hospital Policy for survivors.

The statement adds that Choudhary Ali Zia Kabir, a human rights lawyer, outlined a robust legislative framework to combat acid attacks: banning retail acid sales, ensuring free medical treatment, providing a minimum compensation of INR 500,000 for survivors, and establishing fast-track courts for speedy justice.

“Acid attacks are the most brutal form of gender violence as it not only permanently scars and disables the survivors but destroys their identity. They are unable to forget and move on, and even where they manage, the society does not let them. They are abandoned by the family and discriminated against by society. Almost always women, coming from socio-economically disadvantaged groups, another layer of intersectional marginality is added to their existence,” says Kabir.

The statement adds that several MPs made significant commitments during the event. Bachchan pledged INR 500,000 from her Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) fund for survivor rehabilitation.

The statement says that another MP, Mohd Imran Pratapgarhi, vowed to donate his one-month salary and to raise awareness in Parliament, while Ashok Mittal offered free education at Lovely Professional University for survivors, alongside financial aid.