ACID THROWING

Acid throwing is a serious crime. It is a heinous act inhumanity. By throwing acid, the culprit takes revenge or satisfies some personal grievances or enimity. But in doing so, the criminal destroys the victim’s life forever. The victim bears the marks of acid violence on his/her body. The victim suffers physical pain for a short time, but suffers mentally and psychologically for the whole life. Acid throwing thus destroys a dream, a hope, and a life. It brings suffering and anxiety to the whole family.

There are varied reason for acid violence. Generally and mainly the cause is emotional or failure of a love affair, or refusal of a love or marriage proposal. In that cause the victim is in most cases a girl or a women. When a boy or man offers love or marriage proposal to a girl or women, and if he is rejected, he throws acid on the face whom he desired so much. By throwing acid, the rejected person satisfies his personal anger and vengeance on the girl or women. Often breakdown of marriage or demand for dowry also results in acid throwing. In this case also, the victim is generally a female. Besides, personal enmity, family feud, social hostility, quarrel for money or land dispute etc, are some other reasons of acid throwing.

An acid victim suffers for the whole life. S/he becomes a social outcast. S/he suffers from inferiority complex. A beautiful face, a smiling look and a lively person – all get destroyed by it. An acid victim suffers both psychologically and physically. If the acid throwing case is serious one, it burns the victim’s body and face, and distorts his or her appearance. A beautiful face turns into an ugly one. Often the victim dies fighting for some days with death. But if the victim survives, his/her suffering continues for the rest of life. The survivor has to undergo long medical treatment. Often s/he becomes physically invalid. S/he has to live depending on others. Thus the victim becomes a burden in the family. Acid throwing damages not only a person’s body or face, but it destroys his or her dream, a possibility and a life.

Understanding the psychology of an acid thrower is important this crime. An acid throw should be made to realize that he himself can be victim of acid violence and in that case his own life would be unbearable to himself. Again he should be made to realize that by throwing acid, he takes some revenge or satisfies personal anger but destroys a life, and brings suffering and woes to whole family. So psychological motivation is necessary to curb acid crime. Availability of acid must be removed and a severe law punishing the acid throwing must be introduced. Lack of family ties and lack of good parenting lead many younger to astray and involve them in such crime. So good parenting and family control is necessary to prevent it socially. The acid criminal should be boycotted socially and brought to exemplary punishment. Mass media can raise awareness among people about the horror and consequence of acid crime. The survivors should be rehabilitated and treated with love and sympathy. Social vigilance and familial watch can prevent this crime to a great extent.

It is hopeful that different private organization, women’s organizations and NGOs have come forward to prevent acid violence and raise awareness among people. As a result the case rate is decreasing. However, acid throwing is a social crime, and a social co-orindated efforts can curb the crimes as well as rehabilitate the victims. Guardians, parents and influential persons can play important roles in solving the feuds and quarrels before the incident actually happens.