A survivor’s mission

An acid attack turned Reshma Qureshi into an activist seeking a stop on over-the-counter sales of the deadly substance that completely changed her life

Like many makeup tutorials on the Web, Reshma Qureshi’s also is one that tells you how to define your eyes or get fuller lips. But there’s one big difference. Unlike other tutors, Reshma is a survivor of an acid attack and the canvas that she works with isn’t as scar-free as one is used to. She was subject to a gruesome acid attack at the hands of her own brother-in-law. Teaming up with the NGO Make Love Not Scars, Reshma shot a video to highlight the life-altering effects of acid attacks. More specifically, she is fighting a battle against the over-the-counter sale of acid.

Speaking to us from her home in one of the shanties in Kurla, Mumbai, the 18-year-old says, “What happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone. Unfortunately, women aren’t safe in our country — rapes and acid attacks are rampant and despite that, the perpetrators walk scot-free. There are so many acid attack cases pending in court.

They keep the convicts in jail for a year or two and then leave them. Nobody takes cognizance of the fact that the victim’s life is ruined forever. If they severely punish one perpetrator, it’ll serve as an example for the rest and deter them. But to begin with, the rampant sale of acid should be banned.”

Talking about her makeup tutorial Reshma says, “I felt very good starring in the videos. More so because I was telling people what had happened to me. The day I went on the sets, I met everybody and it felt so good. They never for once made me feel bad about my looks and they treated me like a princess. They gave me the most beautiful clothes to wear and also applied makeup.”

Reshma says that joining the NGO gave her a newfound will to live and being part of the tutorials was a result of that. “I realised that there were more women like me — some having faced worse deformities than I had. I met another survivor called Lalita and her condition was way worse than mine. Her eyes, ears and nose were deformed beyond repair. I forgot my troubles when I saw her and thought to myself, ‘if she can move on with her life, why can’t I’? The founder of Make Love Not Scars, Rhea Sharma spoke to me for over two hours, showed me photos of others like me and showed me a ray of hope,” says Reshma who has already undergone seven surgeries.

Smiling ear-to-ear for the first time since our conversation began, the young activist admits that she was ecstatic when her efforts showed results. “The first time my video went viral on YouTube and I got likes, I was thrilled,” she says.

Coming back to the core belief behind her project she adds, “It’s a shame that acid is as easily accessible as a tube of lipstick. Malicious people take advantage of this, not sparing a moment to think that it will irreversibly ruin someone’s life. Filtering the sale of acid can stop that.”

Awaiting her next surgery in a month’s time, Reshma wants to dedicate her life to the cause of acid attack victims. An aspiring teacher once upon a time, she has veered her efforts since the time she began activism efforts. “I have one more surgery to undergo after which I will resume studies. I will appear for private exams and will work for an NGO. There are many acid attack victims whose parents have abandoned them and I wish to help them,” she concludes.