Lower Parel's Panchaganga Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal's theme this year is acid and burn attack survivors' stories, and it is also going to spread the message of stopping sale of acid to curb such attacks. The mandal is planning to invite several survivors to the pandal during the 11-day festival.

Taking the world head on
mid-day spoke to two survivors who are helping the mandal in this cause; while one has faced violence over dowry demand in 2000, the other faced harassment from her relatives. Sneha Javale, who will soon be starting her own NGO to work for various social causes, said, "My husband and in-laws harassed me for dowry, and in the process, took away my identity. After they burnt my face, nobody came to support me. It was only through meditation that I found my peace. It is important that a victim stops treating herself as a victim and faces the society smiling."