Somy Ali: I was sexually assaulted when I was just five

In another life Somy Ali was just a teenager who had decided that stepping into Bollywood was the only way to catch the attention of her overnight crush Salman Khan The Pakistani girl later not only got a break in Hindi films but also dated the actor for almost eight years And when they broke up in 2000 it took her no time to pack her bags and return home mdash FloridaSomy AliThose chapters of being known as Salman Khans girlfriend and then as his exflame have long been closed Now she has her own identity as a messiah to hundreds of abused women in the States Her voluntary organisation No More Tears NMT turned eight on March 27 and in an exclusive interview with hitlist from the US Somy opened up about the real reason behind starting the NGOSomy and Sanjay Dutt in a still from Andolan 1995Grew up around abuseI grew up amidst an atmosphere of domestic violence in Pakistan and many of my moms friends were victims of physical abuse as well When I would ask my mom about the bruises on their bodies I was always told that X aunty or Y aunty fell down the stairs This was the standard universal euphemism for physical abuse she states before moving on to an even more shocking detail of her lifeSomy did three films with Mithun Chakraborty mdash Krishan Avtaar 1993 Yaar Gaddar and Teesra Kaun both 1994Somy reveals that she was molested as a child I was sexually assaulted by a househelp when I was just five When I am invited for a talk at high schools and universities in the US I share this with the students I believe sharing my personal experiences would encourage others to speak out and not be ashamed about being a victim she addsSalman Khan and Somy Ali in Bulund 1993Baby stepsSince Somy had left home at the age of 16 to pursue dreams of becoming an actress and meet Salman she caught up with education when she returned to the US post her split She studied filmmaking in New York and made short films on teenage suicide domestic violence and abortion Somy registered NMT in 2006 to help victims of abuse brought to the US from around the worldSomy and Om Puri in a still from the 1997 film ChuppHer parents have been supportive of her work but are worried about the risks involved in working in such a sensitive field She says They are severely concerned about the dangers related to rescuing victims of human trafficking and domestic violence I am dealing with abusers who inevitably see me in court when I accompany the victims The risks are there when it comes to this line of work There is not much one can do to escape it My goal is to eradicate the stigma attached to being a victim of sexual and physical abuse and by sharing my personal story and stories of those NMT has rescued I hope many others will speak out against their oppressorsThough she does not have the statistics on the victims of abuse in India and Pakistan she maintains it is a substantial number I am certain there are many men women and children in both Pakistan and India who have been victims of sexual violence but are afraid to speak up The issue that we need to tackle is the revictimisation of victims she suggests Salman in her wordsSomy is currently penning her autobiography which includes a chapter on Salman People found my life story people interesting as well as insane especially how I went to India at the age of 16 after seeing Maine Pyar Kiya 1989 I had a dream about marrying Salman the night I saw the film I woke up and ran around the house looking for a suitcase and told my mom how I needed to move to India to marry an actor I had dreamt of She was initially angry but later I convinced her and the rest is history We are precocious in our teenage years and quite ridiculous as well she chuckles The former starlet was also said to have endured abuse in her relationship with Salman However when this topic cropped up a few years ago she rose to his defence She clarified reports of the infamous incident when Salman smashed a cola bottle on her head when they were dating in the 90s She was quoted saying No if he had done that I would have been hospitalised and bleeding profusely He was not happy because I was trying alcohol for the first time so in his frustration he poured the drink all over the tableAll praise for PreitySomy refrains from commenting on the alleged instances of domestic abuse involving the industry folk My goal isnt really to intervene there Nor do I have any knowledge of what goes on there since I have been disconnected from the film industry for the past 15 years And I am active in the US with my advocacy not there Mumbai The only thing I know for certain is that sexual and physical abuse affect everyone she saysHowever when egged on to react on the Preity ZintaNess Wadia public spat she is all praises for the actress who shocked many by filing a molestation case against her former businessman boyfriend I dont have internal details about what exactly occurred but I commend any man woman or child for raising their voice against sexual and physical abuse I do know that Preity took that initiative so I respect her a great deal No victim must be ashamed of a crime committed against them We as a society need to stop blaming the victims More voices will be heard when we decide to listen without judgment and with an intention to help the victims not persecute them she signs off