Thursday, May 10 All roads led to The St. Regis Mumbai for an event with a soul called Utsahati

Aptly termed as ‘Utsahati,’ which means ‘Encourage,’ The Ladies’ Wing of IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry felicitated one brave soul who has not only been a victim but also a crusader and a role model for women across the globe, Laxmi Agarwal. Laxmi was attacked with acid when she was in the 7th grade, she rose like a Phoenix from ashes to not only survive the attack but to ask fight for various causes and initiatives for the victims of acid attacks. Over the Afternoon Tea Ritual, unique to the St. Regis brand, guests partook in an enlightening afternoon of conversation.

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(From Left to Right- Huzaifa Khorakiwala of Wockhardt Foundation, Arti Gupta Surendranath, Laxmi Agarwal, Mrs Nayantara Jain, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith)

Over a dynamic panel discussion with various stakeholders such as *Nayantara Jain (President, IMC Ladies’ Wing), Arti Surendranath (Chairperson Awards Committee of IMC and event curator), CEO of Wockhardt Foundation Huzaifa Khorakiwala, Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Iulia Vantur, Amit Sadh, Sangita Jindal, Malti Jain, Shreyasi Goenka, Prakruti Podar, Rajalaxmi Rao, Zeba Kohli, Mukita Jhaveri* and more, Laxmi stated that, “When I was attacked, I was the one who was blamed. Society left me, from my extended family to so called friends, people were scared to look at me. I did not get a job at a call centre because they thought people would be scared in even speaking to me. Even thought the one who attacked me was a criminal, I was made to feel like the criminal. Infact, my attackor came out on bail in a month and even got married. It is a very painful life for acid attack survivors, because it is an attack on the entire family. I was a simple girl, with simple dreams but the attack changed my life.

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In a lot of ways, it made me who I am today, a confident girl who has no fears and I managed turning something ugly that happened to me, to a movement in support of acid attack victims. I urge everyone here to help rehabilitate acid attack victims, accept them, acceptance as a society is all they need to become invincible.”

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