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Laxmi Saas Face of Courage

by IBNS 22 Feb 2016, 08:04 am

Laxmi was 15 when she rejected a 32-year old mans offer of marriage. He decided to get even; he disfigured her by throwing acid on her face. That is whereLaxmis advocacy started: speaking out against the unregulated sale of acid in India and campaign for harsher sentence for those guilty of acid attacks.

According to the Acid Survivors Trust International, India sees about 1,000 attacks of this kind in one year alone. A lot it, though, never see the light of day. However, the country still doesn’t have laws in place to punish attackers and bring them to justice. 

Beyond Skin-Deep

Today, Laxmi is the new face of Viva N Diva, an Indian apparel company, in a campaign that wants to send the world one message: that beauty isn’t only skin-deep, that victims don’t lose their courage because they lose their physical beauty. That, essentially, true beauty endures.

Laxmi further emphasizes the difficulty victims of the acid attacks face. Society’s traditional view of victims believes they are “good for nothing”, and that after the attacks, their lives are now a complete “waste”.

Against the Mold

In a culture where traditional attitudes about women are still pervasive—that a woman’s value is tied to her physical beauty—this kind of perception could be as damaging for the women as the attack itself.

It’s already tough being a victim. Continually being treated like one by society doesn’t help victims recover. Instead, it allows the victimization to continue. That’s why Laxmi believedstrongly that stringent laws should be passed,andbetter steps taken to severe enough punishment for the attacks to discourage perpetrators.

As a result of Laxmi’s efforts, the Supreme Court of India acted on her petition in 2013 and ordered state governments to work together in a policy targeted at putting tougher restrictions on the prevalent over-the-counter sale of acid. She and partner, Alok Dixit, now run Stop Acid Attacks (SAA), a campaign that helps survivors of acid attacks gain access to what they need: medical, financial and emotional support.

Different Kind of Beauty

RupeshJhawar, Viva N Diva’s co-founder, said the experience both disturbed and inspired him. His aim was to provide women like Laxmi a chance to face the world without shame, to remind society to look beyond the physical and see a woman of great courage instead of just a victim.

The campaign video captures Laxmi modeling outfits in an array of fiery, vibrant colors: in pink and orange gowns, smiling in front of the camera and completely comfortable in her own skin. In a glance, she has already defied conventions and challenged centuries-held views of what it means to be a model, a victim, and a woman. That kind of courage is as inspiring as it is beautiful to behold. It only remains to be seen if the rest of the world has what it takes tosee this, and if her continued efforts will make an impact on acid attacks in India.

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