Chennai: Scars on the face of 27-year-old Deepamala may be a reminder of the past, but her sufferings are not just limited to it. The unrelenting branding and stigma that she faces from the society hurts her much more than the scars.
A survivor of acid attack, Deepamala frequents Chennai for vision restoration treatment that includes restoration surgery, routine tests and visits to the hospital. Her vision will be restored soon, but the woman is not happy.
She dreads the thought of looking for an accommodation in the supposedly large-hearted city. Acid attack victims face many problems—physical, emotional, psychological and societal — and finding accommodation in Chennai during the trips for treatment has been among the most traumatic experiences for Deepamala.
Her earlier stay at Anna Nagar was met with many restrictions, prompting her to vacate after her medical treatment. The Uttar Pradesh native is now worried about searching a house, as she is set to come to the city in the next few days.
“I have been called for another phase of treatment at Sankara Nethralaya. I know that the search to find an accommodation is going to be difficult,” she told Deccan Chronicle.
Deepamala was right. This reporter who contacted house owners witnessed a pattern in the questions they ask. It begins with the marital status of the person, consent in paying six months (sometimes eight months) advance and restrictions against parties and entry of guys.
The owner, who was convinced with the “bio data of Deepamala”, abruptly hung up after learning that the reporter was looking for an accommodation for the victim of an acid attack. “Our house is new. We don’t take acid victims,” one house owner told this reporter in a rude manner.
It was a similar tale of trauma for acid attack survivor, Aatif Bilal who stayed in a lodge for over a month after the house owners shooed him away. He was in the city three months back for a vision restoration surgery.
“The behaviour of the society hurts me more than the actual scars. Every time I was denied a house, I recalled that horrible incident and wished that it had not happened to me,” Aatif said.
This 25-year-old native of Bhopal shelled out Rs 1,300 per day to stay in a lodge in Nungambakkam. When DC contacted the house owner, who had objected Aatif’s stay, he brutally said, “Neighbours would not be comfortable with his stay.”
“I settled in a small room (with no kitchen) for Rs 8,000. Life is so compromising for us,” he said. An Assam based patient seeking anonymity said he had to discontinue his treatment, having failing to find accommodation for a temporary stay. “I was in Chennai last December. I had spent close to Rs 35,000 just to stay in a lodge here. I could not afford to spend more,” he told DC in a telephonic conversation.
