: For 10 years, acid attack survivor Renu Sharma has been fighting a lone battle. Even after the High Court directed the Delhi government on March 18 to give her a job within six weeks, Renu is yet to be recruited.
Renu along with two other acid attack survivors had met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in March last year seeking government jobs. The Delhi government in July last year had also announced jobs for 35 acid attack survivors. But till date there has been no development.
“I writhe in pain every day. I cannot see, but I can gauge the despair of my father as he has exhausted all his savings over my facial reconstruction surgeries,” said the 30-year-old Renu.
The case
On February 15, 2006, Renu, then 19 years old, had a jug full of acid thrown on her by face by one Yashpal. The latter was their tenant, who was upset with her for not pandering to his demands of marriage.
The attack immediately left her blind. The acid also damaged her nose, ears and lips.
Eighteen surgeries since, and a burning sensation in her eyes has not stopped; she has difficulty in speaking as her lips had to be reconstructed; she cannot smell, either.
Long road ahead
Though Yashpal was arrested and sentenced to imprisonment in 2007, Renu’s battle had then just begun.
For a year, she was bed-ridden, and her younger sister had to give up her studies to take care of her.
Her father, a Group IV Railway employee, sold their house in East Delhi, and the family shifted to a smaller house in Ashok Nagar, Shahdara, to cover up for her treatment expenses.
Her medical bills run into lakhs (above Rs. 30 lakh) and even after two loans, the family cannot afford more surgeries. Even her father’s dairy, a side-business, has been wound up.
They also sold off their five buffaloes to pay for the surgeries.
Losing steam
Soon after the incident was reported, there was extensive media coverage and her family was given assurances of rehabilitation.
In 2008, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had promised to bear the cost of her eye and skin grafting surgeries.
“But after the coverage of my case stopped, the officials never came back,” said Renu, the oldest among five siblings.
“DCW had then given us only Rs. 5,000.”
Seven years later, she again went to court, this time for employment. But now she seems to have lost hope.
“I am blind and not much educated. But there should still be a job for me. I can be a telephone operator or something,” said Renu, who has studied till Class X.
She along with other acid attack survivors has written several letters to the Delhi government but there has been no response in the matter.
Ray of hope
Last month, Renu approached the DCW after learning about the news of three acid attack survivors recruited by them.
Now, the DCW is providing her training at a blind school for better mobility and tailoring.
“They are helping but it is the Delhi government that has to give me a job,” she said.
Promise to be kept?
Government officials, however, said that the Delhi State Legal Services Authority was going through her biodata and a job would be given to her as per her qualifications.
Renu is yet to be recruited by the Delhi govt. despite High Court directions in the matter
