April 14, 2010
Life is not always pleasant to everyone. Several unfortunate individuals fall prey to nasty incidents which can cause havoc in their entire life. How they lead their life after such dark incidents is what matters the most. Very few manage to gather courage and face the challenges of life boldly. Dr Mahalakshmi is one such determined lady endowed with strong will power to get on with life after going through a tragic incident.
This most awful incident took place in Dr Mahalakshmi’s life ten years ago, when her former landlord threw acid on her, which completely ruined her life. She lost her left eye and an ear. Yet she did not lose hopes and is still battling for justice.
Dr Mahalakshmi : Before acid attack and now...
Dr Mahalakshmi was born in Mysore on May 9, 1970. After completing her MBBS in 1994-95 she worked for some time in St John’s and St Martha’s hospitals in Bangalore. In 1998-99, she opened her private clinic in a rented area in Mysore. Right from the beginning, her landlord Chikkabasavaiah was troubling her. Unable to bear his constant torture, she shifted the clinic to another area and asked him to return the advance amount but he refused. When she approached the police, he became more violent. Despite her repeated complaints, the police refused to register the case.
Once when she was returning home in an autorickshaw, her tormentor stopped the auto and misbehaved with her. When she complained about it to the police the police registered the case. When Chikkabasavaiah came to know about it, he asked her to withdraw the case and even threatened her. But she did not budge. .
On January 11, 2001, when she was on her way home at 8 pm, Chikkabasavaiah threw acid on her. “When I took the bylane that leads to my house, he was waiting for me with hands clasped behind. In a fraction of a second, he threw something at me. I immediately realized it was acid and screamed for help but in vain. I stopped a scooter and begged the person to take me to the hospital but the man did not help me. At last, it was a child, her own patient, who came to her rescue by taking her to the hospital in an auto” she recalls.
For two full days, Dr Mahalakshi was lying on the hospital bed. The police took one day to register her case, wasting valuable time on frivolities like whether the place where the incident occurred comes under their jurisdiction or not. She said that it took nine months for the charge-sheet to be framed. Although the police booked a case under section 307 the accused was out on bail.
After loosing a legal battle at the lower court Dr Mahalaxmi has moved to the High Court where the case is still pending. When she wanted to approach the High Court, Director of Public Prosecution dismissed the case stating “the case is unfit for appeal”. Yet she did not lose hope. When she approached the Home Secretary with the help of Campaign and Struggle against Acid Attacks on Women (CSAAAW), he certified that the case was fit for appeal and thus was admitted in the High Court. Despite setbacks at every step Dr Mahalakshmi is still very optimistic. It shows the amount of tolerance- level the lady possesses.
She hardly had anybody to support during her testing times. “It was my parents, especially my mother who stood by me and extended the much needed moral support”, says she.
She later applied for the government service and got selected. She worked as a medical officer in Chamundi Hills for quite a long time. Currently she is rendering her services at a government hospital, at Ashokpuram.
Dr Mahalakshmi has learnt to live with the cruel twist of her life. Though she was a victim of a cruel act she has not given up her fighting spirit.. Now she is keen to devote more time for charity works.. She is interested in; serving the cause of women especially women in distress. Speaking to Daijiworld she said “having experienced one of the worst situations any woman can face, I feel I can help such women in a much better way. But to achieve my goal I need the support from the government and like-minded NGO’s. I also wish to have the support of some good friends with whom I can share my views and connect emotionally”.
Narendra Swamy, Minister for Women and Child Welfare said that throwing acid on a woman is a very inhuman act and government needs to take some serious measures to prevent such savagery acts. Dr Mahalakshmi is a very determined lady and she deserves high level of appreciation. She is a true role model, he added.
Despite all the troubles and sorrows, Dr Mahalakshmi is very optimistic. It is just an indication of the tolerance- level the lady possesses. Her spirit of living life with all its odds is truly commendable. .
Dr Mahalakshmi can be contacted at 9632547720, Residence: 0821-2411623, Email: mahayn9@gmail.com
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