How acid attack survivor Daulat Bi Khan rose from the ashes to help other women like her live with dignity

Through the years, in the face of repeated bias, several women have proven their strength and independence by scaling great heights, and made valuable contributions across myriad fields. On this International Women’s Day, let’s look at Daulat Bi Khan’s journey in turning a devastating event into a positive outcome that has helped others like her find hope.

Nine years ago, when Daulat, a 26-year-old makeup artist, was sitting on a sofa, her family members threw acid on her face. Daulat’s mother was living with her sister and brother-in-law in Mumbai. The couple was not treating her well, and when Daulat questioned their actions, they retaliated by hurling acid on her face and disfiguring it.

Despite the traumatic incident and all the consequences that followed, Daulat stood strong. And, not only did she stand strong, she decided to help other survivors of acid attacks deal with their circumstances as well.

She sowed the seeds for a non-governmental organisation named Acid Attack Survivor Sahas Foundation. Today, this Mumbai-based NGO provides counselling, education, as well as employment opportunities for 26 victims of acid attacks, enabling them to lead a happy and independent life.

Until 2013, the Indian Criminal Law did not even identify acid attacks as a distinct offence. It was only after the Supreme Court directive that it became a punishable offence as per Section 326A of the Indian Penal Code. Even after the regulatory measure, around 225 cases of acid attacks were reported in 2014 in India, rising to a whopping 279 in 2015, according to Indpaedia, a volunteer-run archive. “I am glad that this has become a punishable offence. Nobody has the right to ruin a person’s life,” Daulat re-iterates.

Also read: Meet acid attack survivor Anmol Rodriguez who has fashioned a better world for herself and others like her

Immeasurable tenacity

Daulat’s face, hands and back “melted off” when the acid hit her skin. It also left her partially blind. “I couldn’t open my eyelid, nor my mouth. I cannot even describe the pain I underwent. It felt like as if I was sitting inside a fire. The acid had burned down to the bottom epidermis, below my nerves,” she says.

She spent the first two months at KM hospital in Lower Parel, Mumbai, after which she was shifted to a private hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries.

“I spent almost a year on my bed at home. I began hunting for a job, but nobody was ready to give me one because of the way I looked. I used to be a professional makeup artist. There was no place for me in the industry anymore,” Daulat tells YourStory.

Several acid attack survivors across the country tend to experience repeated rejections, the root cause of which is social exclusion and stigma associated with the way an acid attack shows up on a person’s looks. Daulat was drawn into this gambit of discrimination, but chose to help other victims instead of breaking down. “My goal was to help other victims like me. I didn’t want anyone else to suffer as much as I did,” she adds. 

Creating a support system

Daulat started Sahas Foundation in 2016 with an intention to help acid attack victims regain confidence and lead a normal life. The foundation assists survivors in pursuing their education, paying medical bills, finding a job, and even getting married.

“One of the acid attack survivors who had sought our help long ago is now married. It all started when Lalita Ben Bansi made a call to a wrong number. She found her life partner by talking to the person at the other end of the call. After two months of courtship, the couple were married in a Thane court, and are looking forward to a new beginning now,” Daulat says.

So far, the foundation has helped nine acid attack victims with the required medical treatment, including skin grafting surgeries. It has also assisted three survivors to get married. 

Before establishing the foundation, Daulat was working with the Human Rights Law Network, a collective of Indian lawyers and social activists who help in providing legal support to the vulnerable and disadvantaged sections of society. During the course of her stint, she met a high court lawyer who encouraged her to set up an NGO for acid attack victims. “After contemplating this, I followed up with him for further assistance. He was more than happy to guide me with regard to the registration of Sahas and its operations,” Daulat says.

Though Daulat pooled in her personal savings during the establishment of the NGO, money poured in later in the form of donations from individuals like Aneel Murarka, Managing Director of Mirachem Industries, and Amruta Fadnavis, a renowned social activist.

Rising above the stigma and scars

Daulat’s neighbours suggested she refrained from stepping out of home to avoid being ridiculed.

“I wanted to show that I was no lesser than anybody else. I wanted to shout out to the world that it was only my face that was disfigured. My personality, attitude, and intellect remained the same. Outward appearance is not permanent. It is deceiving. And, I didn’t want my face to be my only identity,” says Daulat with a smile.