Dr. Mahalakshmi speaks at Rotary Club event 

Mysore/Mysuru: Women’s Day was celebrated at Rotary Mysore Midtown and Dr. Y.N. Mahalakshmi, Administrative Medical Officer, Primary Health Centre (Karnataka State Health and Family Welfare Services), Old Agrahara in city, was the special guest. 

For the uninitiated, Dr. Mahalakshmi is an acid attack survivor who is silently continuing to serve the society, providing succour to marginalised people, despite being victim herself. 

She has beaten all odds after the brutal hate crime and today she is giving shape to her life’s mission: To provide a healing touch to the poor and needy. She has an inherent desire to help acid attack survivors enabling them to lead independent and dignified lives. Dr. Mahalakshmi was attacked with acid on Jan. 11, 2001 by one Chikkabasavaiah, a property owner, after she complained to the Police against him. Chikkabasavaiah had rented out a part of his residential building at Industrial Suburb in Vidyaranyapuram to Dr. Mahalakshmi to run her clinic. Chikkabasavaiah owned a wine store in Vidyaranyapuram and he made advances towards Dr. Mahalakshmi but the latter resisted his advances. On the evening of Jan. 11, 2001, Chikkabasavaiah threw acid on Dr. Mahalakshmi when she was returning home after work. 

While the District Sessions Court acquitted Chikkabasavaiah on Jan. 1, 2005 for lack of evidence, the High Court, on Jan. 12, 2012, sentenced him to three years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000. 

Dr. Mahalakshmi got justice after 11 years and pursued her case relentlessly though some of her sensory organs had ceased to function. The attack was so traumatic that she underwent many surgeries and legal challenges throughout. Once out of shock, she made up her mind to face the society and help the needy. She also does counselling for the needy to instil confidence along with medical care. 

At the Rotary event, Dr. Mahalakshmi touched upon the way women should face these kinds of challenges in life and never budge. She enlightened the audience with the updated legal support the victim gets now. She stressed on the way women have to challenge the society and make a better and strong living out of it.