Dr. Pratyush Nath Upreti

EVIL ON THE LOOSE Pratyush Nath Upreti February 14 is considered to be the biggest festival for lovers, but last Valentine's Day will be remembered for the barbaric act of a spurned suitor, Om Prakash Mehta, who threw acid on a 17-year-old girl. Many such gruesome and brutal acid attacks happen in Nepal, but they are not reported in the media and often remain unheard. This incident highlights two important things. First, the growing trend of youth not tolerating rejection by their lovers. Second, it gives us a preview of the social status of women in our society. Among incidents of gender violence, acid attacks are the cruellest act of violence against women, as the victim suffers the severe impact of an attack that will remain for the rest of her life. Acid attacks are one of the most common forms of sexual violence in the world, but it's more prevalent in Southeast Asia. As far as Nepal is concerned, there is no concrete and reliable data about acid attacks. In most cas