No end to nightmare for kids who lost mother in acid attack

In a small, quiet neighbourhood of Sain Mohalla in Mandi district, the silence feels heavier than ever. Behind the closed doors of a modest home, two children — a teenage girl and her younger brother (both minors) — are struggling to come to terms with a tragedy that has shaken their world forever. Their mother, who battled for her life for several days after sustaining grievous acid burns, succumbed to her injuries at PGIMER Chandigarh. Their father is now in judicial remand, accused of attacking her. For these children, the nightmare has not ended. It has only begun.

Relatives describe the children as “shattered”, unable to comprehend how their own home became the site of such horrific violence. The relatives stepped forward to support them, but the emotional trauma runs deep.

“The children have not spoken much since that night,” said Keshu Rajput, a close relative. “They keep asking why this happened to their mother. No one has an answer.”

According to Keshu Rajput, after this tragic incident, no one is there to take care of these children who lost their mother and their father is behind bars. Their grandparents had died earlier. They need government support in this difficult situation. He said that these children should be taken under Children of State Welfare scheme initiated by the state government.

NR Thakur, District Child Protection Officer, Mandi, stated that children exposed to such violent incidents often suffer long-lasting psychological effects — fear, anxiety, nightmares and trust issues. “We are providing counselling support to these children,” said Thakur.

Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan has already directed the District Programme Officer to bring these children under a welfare scheme, which was initiated by the state government to help such children.

Women’s rights activists argue that these children should not only receive emotional and psychological assistance, but also long-term financial and educational support. “They should not have to bear the consequences of a crime they never chose,” said a representative of a women’s welfare group in Mandi.

According to NR Thakur, schools in the region have been told to provide a sensitive environment to such children when they eventually return to their classroom environment.

Vidhya Negi, Chairman of HP State Commission for Women, stated that soon she would meet the daughter of the deceased victim to know whether she wants to live in her house or a rehabilitation centre.

For now, the two siblings remain surrounded by grief and unanswered questions. Their future — once filled with ordinary dreams — is now clouded with uncertainty. But one thing is painfully clear: the scars of this tragedy will take far longer to heal than the wounds inflicted.