Page 4 - January 2022 BSTTW Community News

4 BSTTW COMMUNITY NEWS

CONTINUED From Page 3 “STATS” based on color, where girls of marriageable age are
Conclusion encouraged to go through great lengths to be
visually acceptable, fearing the visually deviant
Even though the fire incidence and death toll holds no surprise. What is interesting though, is that
trends are going in the right direction, the risk Deepa herself conforms to these ideas of beauty
that we all run from fires remains real and and finds the reaction of her neighbors justifiable.
dreadful, especially for those who are Many women in the lower socio-economic class
dependent on the help of others. We hope resort to burning as an answer to their troubles not
these figures will motivate you to stop taking realizing that this will only add to their woes if they
chances and proactively prevent the hellish survive. Since fire is considered to be engulfing and
consequences that a fire may inflict on your easily accessible to women, 80% of burn cases are
physical, psychological, and material well- women and children.
being, as exposed in these fire safety statistics
leading up to 2021. Many women in the lower socio-economic class
resort to burning as an answer to their troubles not
Disfigurement: Isolating ‘Imperfect’ Bodies realizing that this will only add to their woes if they
By: Shirin Juwaley survive.

Shirin Juwaley of Palash Foundation, an organisation Shanti.K*, 30, was burnt by her in-laws as she was
dedicated to the rehabilitation of people with childless three years into her marriage. She
disfigurement, explains how disfigurement affects the lives
of women. survived with her skin on her face and body badly
twisted and stretched leaving her looking deviant.
Having a facial disfigurement, according to me, She wears a scarf around her facial disfigurement
is an advantage! It has sieved out the people in and hides her scars with clothes covering her fully
my life as only the significant remain. In the 13 so that ‘others’ are comfortable around her. She
years of surviving an acid attack by my ex- runs into a fit of anger if a man passes the comment
husband, I have come across all sorts of “Who will be with someone like you? (Teray jaisee
attitudes and behaviors towards a deviant face. kay saath kaun rahega?)” as it affirms that she is
not beautiful and hence not acceptable. She has
Justifying and Accepting Discrimination few friends and does not like to socialize, which is
much against the carefree person she was before
I often wonder why most people cringe, repel, getting burnt. Marriage or even relationships
flinch, stare, avert their gaze and feel awkward according to her are both impossible and not even a
in their interactions with people with distant dream.
disfigurement. To cite a few examples,
Deepa.S*, 25, decided to burn up as she was The Perfect, Unattainable Body
fed up of living a life not meeting her
expectations. This wife and mother of a one Both Deepa and Shanti are accepting of their
year old survived and suffers extreme discrimination as they don’t know otherwise. The
contractures. Her chin and neck are fused with social indoctrination around physical appearances,
scarring all over her body. Let’s face it; her especially for a woman, starts as soon as she is
physical symmetry has gone askew. This born. The messages floating around are so strong,
mother prefers to isolate herself in a dingy be it in the stories we are told, the movies we watch,
house with no electricity and water, as fetching the clothes we wear, religious significance, customs
food would mean the neighbors cringing and to be adhered, compliments/comments we receive,
fearfully closing their doors. This means Deepa comparisons made with siblings and cousins – the
is willing to go thirsty and hungry rather than list is probably endless, shape our thinking. The
step out in a community that is obviously visual impact of media has pushed 98% of the
uncomfortable with her physical appearances. ‘normal’ population to ape the 2% population of
‘perfect’ bodies displayed in glossy magazines and
In a country where leprosy is still considered a hoardings.
curse from God, where social discrimination is
For Anamika.M*, who was born congenitally
disfigured, growing up with no legs was traumatic.
Children around her played and ran while she stood
CONTINUED On Page 5 “BODIES”