Pragya’s Journey: From Acid Attack Survivor To Activist

By Mariya Rajan

July 19, 2025

This is the powerful story of Pragya Prasun, an acid attack survivor who turned her pain into purpose.
In 2006, just 12 days after her wedding, 23-year-old Pragya Prasun was travelling on a train when a man threw acid on her, leaving her with 47% burn injuries. What followed was a long and painful recovery — and a determination to create a support group for other acid attack survivors.

Today, she is not just a survivor — she is a fierce activist, working to support and empower others through her initiative, Atijeevan Foundation, an organisation that helps acid attack survivors across India access surgeries, legal aid, mental health support, and financial independence.

In this episode of Stories of Resilience, host and producer Mariya Rajan meets Pragya to trace her journey from being an acid attack survivor to becoming an activist. We explore how she rebuilt her identity, challenged social norms, and became a beacon of hope for other survivors.

But this is not all. Pragya also fought a long legal battle. She was denied basic digital services like opening a bank account or purchasing a SIM card because she couldn't blink — a requirement under India’s digital KYC process to prove ‘liveness.’ Despite having valid ID proofs, she was asked to use her husband’s or a guardian’s name — a suggestion that deeply insulted her dignity. Frustrated by these humiliations, Pragya launched the #IWontBlink campaign to highlight how digital systems exclude people with disabilities. Her petition, along with others facing similar challenges, led to a landmark Supreme Court judgment declaring digital access a fundamental right. The court directed the government to make all digital services — including KYC, welfare schemes, education portals, and financial technologies — inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities and the marginalized, marking a major step toward bridging India’s digital divide.

Despite strict laws to control acid sales, nearly 300 acid attacks still occur every year in India. In 2013, acid attacks were officially recognised as a separate crime under Section 326A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This law makes the crime punishable with a minimum of 10 years in prison, which can be extended to life imprisonment.

Pragya’s journey has been both inspiring and changemaking. She has also received support from Bollywood actors, including Shah Rukh Khan’s foundation and Priyanka Chopra.