Sonali Mukherjee becomes TV millionaire
Sonali Mukherjee becomes TV millionaire
NEW DELHI: When Sonali Mukherjee progress in three of her fellow students refused, they responded by melting her face with acid.But instead of hiding away, 27-year-old to appear on India's most popular TV quiz - and walked away a millionaire.
"If you can stare at a picture of a beautiful woman, you can also look at my face burned," Mukherjee told AFP in her little house in the capital New Delhi.
"It is very easy for victims of acid attacks to poison swallow, but I chose to stand up and scream and shout for violence."
The recent gang rape of a college student on a bus in New Delhi - which sparked angry protests across India - has an uncomfortable spotlight shone on the levels of violence against women in the country where sexual assault is often dismissed as mere "eve-teasing" . National Crime Records show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes against women were registered last year.
Nine years ago, Mukherjee was a promising student at a university in the eastern city of Dhanbad when the three students broke into her house while she slept and threw acid on her face for rejecting them.
They used a fluid known as "Tezaab", often used to clean rusty tool. Her attackers used it to Mukherjee eyelids, nose and ears melt. Even after 22 subsequent operations, she remains blind and deaf. No one has ever been convicted of assault.
The three were arrested and spent some time behind bars in custody, but was later released on bail and the case was continued stabbing in the notoriously slow legal system of India.
"They could not have a" no "to take me and so they decided to rip my face and steal away my life," she said as she fumbled for water to medication administered by her father. The Indian government has no specific figures for acid attack.
According to the London-based charity Acid Survivors Trust International, about 1,500 acid attacks reported worldwide each year. But many more victims do not report their injuries to the authorities and instead of suffering in silence.
Mukherjee said that many call any financial or legal support of the state to cause. Instead, her family had their two-story house, land, gold and cattle to sell to meet medical expenses. In a letter to the government that they said they would rather commit suicide - which is illegal in India - instead of constant pain to live.
But when they despaired of finance its treatment, Mukherjee has decided to apply to appear on "Kaun Banega Crorepati", the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and was featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".
After being selected as a participant, she went on to 2.5 million rupees (U.S. $ 45,000) for winning last month after a successful answer 10 questions. The money will be used to make a round of plastic surgery financing next year for Mukherjee, who holds a portrait of himself as a fresh face teen cadet. She said letters for help had failed to yield results, but the sight of his injuries had a much deeper effect.
"When all else fails, I decided to use my face."
Mukherjee said that its profits may be welcome, but they are still not enough to cover all her medical bills.
"I have some money, but I need more for my treatment," she said.
Her determination to not be a victim inspired viewers and the audience was in tears when she won the competition. The host of the show, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, called her "the epitome of courage" to "continue its struggle against all odds."
"Sometimes we think that our lives miserable, everything is against us and then (when) we meet someone like Sonali we realize how lucky we are and how we got started for us," he said on the show.
Mukherjee wants to use her high profile to campaign for fellow victims to demand specific legislation on acid attacks, which are currently the subject of domestic violence laws, which carry relatively light penalties.
In 2011 the neighboring Pakistan legislation to increase the penalties between 14 years and life for acid attack and a fine of at least one million Pakistani rupees (U.S. $ 10,200).
"The men who threw acid on me roam in the open, but if stricter sanctions than behind bars," Mukherjee said.
Indian lawyer Aparna Bhatt, who has fought a legal battle in the Supreme Court for another acid victim has filed a public prayer that free medical treatment for acid victims and regulate the sale of acid.
"India has a new law to acidic crime to define in a more comprehensive way. Should free medical care, rehabilitation of victims," said Bhatt.
"Acid is a dangerous weapon."
NEW DELHI: When Sonali Mukherjee progress in three of her fellow students refused, they responded by melting her face with acid.But instead of hiding away, 27-year-old to appear on India's most popular TV quiz - and walked away a millionaire.
"If you can stare at a picture of a beautiful woman, you can also look at my face burned," Mukherjee told AFP in her little house in the capital New Delhi.
"It is very easy for victims of acid attacks to poison swallow, but I chose to stand up and scream and shout for violence."
The recent gang rape of a college student on a bus in New Delhi - which sparked angry protests across India - has an uncomfortable spotlight shone on the levels of violence against women in the country where sexual assault is often dismissed as mere "eve-teasing" . National Crime Records show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes against women were registered last year.
Nine years ago, Mukherjee was a promising student at a university in the eastern city of Dhanbad when the three students broke into her house while she slept and threw acid on her face for rejecting them.
They used a fluid known as "Tezaab", often used to clean rusty tool. Her attackers used it to Mukherjee eyelids, nose and ears melt. Even after 22 subsequent operations, she remains blind and deaf. No one has ever been convicted of assault.
The three were arrested and spent some time behind bars in custody, but was later released on bail and the case was continued stabbing in the notoriously slow legal system of India.
"They could not have a" no "to take me and so they decided to rip my face and steal away my life," she said as she fumbled for water to medication administered by her father. The Indian government has no specific figures for acid attack.
According to the London-based charity Acid Survivors Trust International, about 1,500 acid attacks reported worldwide each year. But many more victims do not report their injuries to the authorities and instead of suffering in silence.
Mukherjee said that many call any financial or legal support of the state to cause. Instead, her family had their two-story house, land, gold and cattle to sell to meet medical expenses. In a letter to the government that they said they would rather commit suicide - which is illegal in India - instead of constant pain to live.
But when they despaired of finance its treatment, Mukherjee has decided to apply to appear on "Kaun Banega Crorepati", the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and was featured in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire".
"When all else fails, I decided to use my face."
Mukherjee said that its profits may be welcome, but they are still not enough to cover all her medical bills.
"I have some money, but I need more for my treatment," she said.
Her determination to not be a victim inspired viewers and the audience was in tears when she won the competition. The host of the show, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, called her "the epitome of courage" to "continue its struggle against all odds."
"Sometimes we think that our lives miserable, everything is against us and then (when) we meet someone like Sonali we realize how lucky we are and how we got started for us," he said on the show.
Mukherjee wants to use her high profile to campaign for fellow victims to demand specific legislation on acid attacks, which are currently the subject of domestic violence laws, which carry relatively light penalties.
In 2011 the neighboring Pakistan legislation to increase the penalties between 14 years and life for acid attack and a fine of at least one million Pakistani rupees (U.S. $ 10,200).
"The men who threw acid on me roam in the open, but if stricter sanctions than behind bars," Mukherjee said.
Indian lawyer Aparna Bhatt, who has fought a legal battle in the Supreme Court for another acid victim has filed a public prayer that free medical treatment for acid victims and regulate the sale of acid.
"India has a new law to acidic crime to define in a more comprehensive way. Should free medical care, rehabilitation of victims," said Bhatt.
"Acid is a dangerous weapon."
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