Imagine being denied a bank account just because one is an acid attack survivor. This is exactly what Pragya Prasun experienced when a KYC machine could not scan her complete biometric details because of her inability to blink.
“It’s my right too to be able to open a bank account,” Pragya said in a tweet, sharing her story, in which she also tagged megastar Shah Rukh Khan and Meer Foundation.
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Meer Foundation is the star’s charity organisation that works towards rehabilitating acid attack survivors and also funds corrective surgeries.
Pragya posted: “Being an acid attack survivor should not prohibit me from living a life with dignity. It’s unjust that I was denied a bank acct just because I can’t blink for the KYC process. Requesting @iamsrk @MeerFoundation to help me make this world inclusive for all acid attack survivors #iwontblink”
She also urged Sandeep Bakhshi, CEO, ICICI Bank, to reconsider this policy and provide easy and swift alternative methods for individuals who cannot blink their eyes to open a bank account.
She added: “I also implore them to restore the physical application process to accommodate individuals with disabilities, as online-only options may not always be suitable for everyone.”