Sonali Mukherjee - A Soul that Never Backed Down

We’ve often heard of and celebrated the birth of actors’ children. But have you ever celebrated an acid attack victim giving birth to a healthy baby girl? Why not?

Well, I’m talking about Sonali Mukherjee, who was attacked with acid late at night in her own house as a 17-year-old girl. The unfortunate incident took place on April 22, 2003, in her hometown Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Her face was severely disfigured, and she was left completely blind.

Pursuing PhD in Sociology, Sonali Mukherjee had a bright future ahead. She was captain of National Cadet Corps (NCC) and was president of the student union before the incident. Driven by jealousy and hatred, thugs – Tapas Mitra, and his two friends Sanjay Paswan and Bhrahmadev Hajra – planned a horrific act of revenge that would change their victim’s life forever. On 22 April, when she was asleep on the roof of her house, she was attacked with acid and left with a burnt face and other severe injuries. In an interview, she recalled: “I

woke up feeling strange. Within a few seconds it felt like my whole body was on fire. I kept screaming in pain till I passed out.” Her sister was also injured in the incident.

Everything thereafter changed, light had gone out of her life all of a sudden. Her family was deeply affected too. Her mother went into depression, her grandfather died after a heart attack and her family has spent all their savings on her treatment. She had to undergo reconstructive surgery 22 times, costing way more than her family could afford. They sold their ancestral land, and all the jewellery they possessed, and received no help from the government. Her three attackers were sentenced to nine years in jail, but quickly managed

to be released on bail. By 2012, Sonali felt fed up with life, so she petitioned the government to approve her euthanasia, which is considered illegal in India. In her letter, she expressed her growing feeling of hopelessness, of living without a future and the burden imposed by the lack of justice. As her request was rejected, she decided to fight back, in order to prevent other girls suffering a similar attack.

The first step in her rekindled fight was to participate in and win India’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which brought her one million rupees. She confessed to CNN that she entered the contest for the money prize, which she desperately needed for her treatment, but also to raise awareness about the suffering of acid attack victims. She also revealed that the newly found media attention gave her a platform to air my grievances. After that, support poured in from all quarters. And that’s precisely when she started to regain her lost strength.

Her wish to meet Amitabh Bacchchan was granted when she was invited to participate in ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ in 2013, along with Lara Dutta, and won rupees 25 lakhs. The Jharkhand government appointed Sonali Mukherjee as a Grade-III clerk in the welfare department of the Bokaro deputy commissioner’s office February 2014.

One day, a young man heard about Sonali and her brave spirit. He really wanted to meet this incredible lady. His name is Chittaranjan Tiwari. They met and before long they were hopelessly in love with each other. They married and are now the proud parents of a stunningly beautiful baby. They named her Pari, meaning “face of an angel.”

In spite of the barbaric acts by the three men, Sonali’s amazing spirit has triumphed against all odds. India’s laws have become much harsher towards acid attacks, hoping they will cease. Anyone suffering from these kinds of attacks now receive all the financial compensation and moral support they need from the government. Through Sonali’s tireless and brave work, we hope other young girls will not have to face this terror and pain that she

experienced.

There are many women in the world, just like Sonali, whose life is changed forever by an acid attack. Let’s cherish the fighter spirit of all those who do not give up even after such harsh incidents. We must look up to them when we feel like giving up after petty struggles in our daily lives.

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