Life seemed to have come to an end for Laxmi in 2005 when she became a victim of acid attack. But it didn't because she simply didn't give up.
Despite all odds, Laxmi has remained a
vivacious and optimisitic person, giving hope and strength to many. She was
attacked in 2005 at age 16, by a 32-year-old man whose advances she had
rejected.
Laxmi had been the
strongest advocate of regulation of acid sales, and her efforts led the Supreme
Court order the central and state governments to regulate the sale of acid, and
the Parliament to make prosecutions of acid attacks easier. Laxmi received a
2014 International Women of Courage award by US First Lady Michelle Obama, and was
also chosen as the NDTV Indian of the Year.
Lakshmi fell in love with social activist Alok Dixit. Both
decided not to get married and instead be in a live-in relationship,
challenging the society by not getting married. Lakshmi is now a
mother. Seven months back, Pihu was born.
During her pregnancy, Laxmi often wondered if
her baby would get scared of her after she is born. In the moment of
Pihu’s birth though, all those fears died. “When the doctor lay her down next
to me, all she did was snuggle up and go off to sleep. It was the most
reassuring thing in the world,” Laxmi says. In their tiny apartment, where they
have recently moved, Pihu’s things take up most of the space. There are musical
toys everywhere, a walker and a pram where Pihu spends her time when she’s not
accompanying Laxmi and Dixit to Chaanv Foundation, the NGO where they work and
which runs the popular Stop Acid Attack (SAA) campaign. She crawls after Laxmi,
cooing every time she speaks to her, or when Dixit picks her up for a quick
cuddle.
Getting a birth
certificate for Pihu proved a task because Laxmi and Dixit are not legally
married. “Laxmi didn’t want a traditional marriage since so much emphasis is
put on how the bride looks. I don’t believe in such institutions. We love each
other and promised to stay true to ourselves and here we are. But we wanted the
birth certificate to mention both our names and that proved difficult,” dixit
says.
"Pihu does not have a surname, neither
would she have one.
We encountered a few
problems while making the birth certificate but ultimately it has the name of
both the mother and father because both of us are together," says Laxmi.
Lakshmi
is currently busy starting a Sheroes Cafe in Lucknow next month. Pihu spends
most of her time with the campaigners of Stop Acid Attack, many of whom
themselves are acid attack survivors. She accompanies her
mother where ever she goes, and probably knows it in her heart that her
parents are the most beautiful human beings she’ll come across.
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