Prerna Foundation organised ‘Inspire India award 2016’ to felicitate acid attack victims here on Sunday at Samanvay Bhavan. The programme was presided over by former Mayor Krishna Gour and the chief guest of the programme was Mayor Alok Sharma while former mayor Vibha Patel was the special guest. Bollywood actress Amitha Nangiya also attended the programme.
The founder of the Prerna foundation Sunita Jain conducted a survey and found 8 victims of acid attack. They survived a grave accident and have a strong soul, said Sunita. Manoj Jain, husband of Sunita is the treasurer of the foundation. They together run the NGO.
The foundation started as a dance academy early in 1999 which later grew into a social servicing NGO. Sunita says she will run this organisation till there is health and wealth.
Former Mayor Vibha Patel said, “We are witnessing such a programme for the first time. There are perpetrators in our society who wish to see women in such conditions and understand themselves as stronger.” She then requested Alok Sharma to create opportunities for training and job for such victims.
Mayor Alok Sharma felicitated all the acid victims with Gour and in his speech he said that he has been serving the people of Bhopal for past 35 years. He appealed that the liberal selling of acid must be stopped. If there is any victim they must be supported and more importantly one should ensure these incidents do not repeat. Sharma announced `2 lakh for the NGO.
Krishna Gour said, “Just two days before international women’s day this felicitation programme is organised, but that means every day of the year must be equally dedicated for women.”
There were five victims who were felicitated — Gita and daughter Neethu from Agra were attacked by their father as he wanted a boy, Roopa from Faridabad who was attacked by her step mother at the age of 15, Rani from Odisha and Dolly from UP were attacked by a scorned lovers. There were three more victims to be felicitated but they could not make it.