Woman Who Sustained 50% Burn Injuries And Tortured For 18 Years By Husband Starts A New Life
Sustaining over 50% burns, she survived, battling odds and stigma.
A burning lantern was thrown at her face nearly 18 years ago by her husband. Anita Parker Mary¡¯s clothes caught fire and the flames engulfed the upper part of her body. Sustaining over 50% burns, she survived, battling odds and stigma.
Last week, the 40-year-old opened her provisions shop Nariloka (women¡¯s world) near Lingarajapuram, east Bengaluru, with help of an NGO. Pushed into penury after her husband¡¯s death three months ago, Anita started a new life to earn money and self-respect.
BCCL
The Guild of Women Achievers, a private organisation, assisted Anita in setting up the shop. The guild learnt about her from Pragya Singh, an acid-attack survivor who has been helping many like Anita. ¡°There was good response from many donors who came forward to support her cause,¡± said Chaya Srivatsa, founder, Guild of Women Achievers.
¡°She has a lot of potential but it is trapped within because of her appearance. We thought of providing her something through which she can earn her livelihood and lead a life of dignity,¡± said Pragya.
BCCL
Anita¡¯s father was an Anglo-Indian, hence English was the only spoken language at her home in Tiruchi. ¡°My mother left us when we were young and I had to stop going to school to look after my young brothers. My husband was an electrician, over 20 years older than me. He was short-tempered,¡± she recalled.
One day, her husband lost his temper on seeing Anita standing outside the house and watching a fight. ¡°He threw a lamp on my face and my clothes caught fire. I was immediately hospitalised and survived. But the scars still remain. Doctors suggested plastic surgery but we couldn¡¯t afford it. For many years, I could not turn as my neck was burnt,¡± she added.
BCCL
She worked as a cook in houses after the incident. ¡°Once a guest who had come to the house where I worked asked my employer: ¡®Why have you hired her? She is so ugly.¡¯ I have faced discrimination everywhere because of my looks. My husband, however, repented for what he did,¡± Anita said.
Prior to the fire accident, she worked as a travel guide as she spoke English. ¡°I would travel with foreigners to show them Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi as a guide,¡± says Anita.
Anita¡¯s son recently started working with a private firm; her daughter has completed PU and wants to study BCom. But Anita failed to get a bank loan for her daughter¡¯s education. ¡°I hope chief minister HD Kumaraswamy understands the woes people like me. What I need is not mercy but a loan for my daughter¡¯s education,¡± she said.
