New Delhi: Monica Singh was attacked nine year ago by five hired goons in Lucknow who threw acid on her, severely burning her torso and throat. The horrific act a revenge for rejecting a marriage proposal. Â
The now 28-year-old has had 43 reconstructive procedures, and is an irrepressible optimist who chooses not to play the victim. Despite the long recovery, the many setbacks and the trauma, she is full of life and has been accepted at her dream school, Parson’s New School of Design in New York.
Her energies are focused on her impending postgraduate course at Parson’s and ways to raise the funds for it. She is looking to get crowdfunding for her studies on the web. (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/acid-attack-survivor-monica-singh-s-p…)
Monica was in the first year of her undergraduate course in apparel design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) when she was attacked in her home town. After a year in hospital, she returned to Delhi to resume her studies.
The courts have given her little relief. Two of Monica’s attackers are in custody but three are out on bail. Under the new law passed last April, Monica would have been entitled to compensation, both from the state government as well as the accused. Unfortunately, the assault on Monica pre-dates this so she does not stand to benefit from the law.
Her case is still being heard in the high court now but she has no hopes of justice. “My father paid for my medical expenses. I had to submit my bills again and again and we hoped the court would order compensation but that never happened. I cannot beg or plead or act the victim any more. For me and my family, my career was the most important thing. I can go for a hearing once more if I was assured justice but not more than that,” she says.
Monica got several internships with well-known brands and fashion magazines after her graduation but keeping a job was difficult. “People knew that I tire easily because my physical condition. But I really did my best. I breathe fashion. That’s how much I love my job,” she says.
Monica’s father, a banker, backed her all the way. But he passed away recently, and now the family is no position to fund her studies in New York. But she refuses to give up her hopes of studying at Parson’s.
Monica says she designs western couture and loves drama and flamboyance in her works. Her collection for her college show was called ‘Vegas on the Ramp’, and inspired by casinos and roulettes.
The designer says she is used to running into people who have problems with her appearance but she doesn’t let it upset her. “For me beauty is above appearances, it’s in your intelligence and in art,” she says.
She does not tip toe around the subject of her face and the reconstruction procedures. “The face is your identity. You can either retain the old one or get a new one. I decided to get a new face,” she says.