Shanta is all smiles in a resplendent red sari. Beneath her cheerful demeanour, however, lies the pain of battling a physical handicap.
Afflicted by polio as a child, a routine walk for her is a struggle. Bereft of companionship for the last 26 years, this day she hopes to meet, yes, her soulmate.
At a swayamvaram organised by Geeta Bhavan and State Federation of Handicapped, starry-eyed individuals like her were eager to meet their prospective life partner.
Then there were others like Manju, who dared to defy conventional norms. She said she didn't think twice on her decision to marry a disabled man. Ask her why, and pat comes the reply, "handicapped people are not different from others ... I believe that such people are also normal, if not better."
Wheeled inside the auditorium by his father Vasudevan, a retired MTC conductor, Pulicat resident V Dinakaran can't walk due to his orthopaedic disability. "I've been dependent on my parents since I was born. But I hope to find someone who can take care of me for life," he said. For Jagadishan, two surgeries after a paralytic attack on his right side proved futile. The only child of his parents, he works as a hospital technician. His expect eyes light up when he says, "I am waiting for the right person!"
Among the matches already made, Dinesh Babu and Renita from Dindigul were beaming with gay abandon. While Dinesh is a driver and is not disabled, Renita has a deformity in her right hand. "My father is physically-challenged ... I know the pain of battling a handicap. So I decided to marry a woman with disability and provide her support," he said.
In 2013, swamyamvarams have been conducted in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Erode, Tiruvannamalai and Madurai in which 69 couple selected each other. The Chennai event saw a total of 32 couples saying "Yes, I do!"
Next in line is a counselling session for 100 couples and their marriage is to be solemnised on October 27, said Ashok Goyal, managing trustee of Gita Bhavan.
Afflicted by polio as a child, a routine walk for her is a struggle. Bereft of companionship for the last 26 years, this day she hopes to meet, yes, her soulmate.
At a swayamvaram organised by Geeta Bhavan and State Federation of Handicapped, starry-eyed individuals like her were eager to meet their prospective life partner.
Then there were others like Manju, who dared to defy conventional norms. She said she didn't think twice on her decision to marry a disabled man. Ask her why, and pat comes the reply, "handicapped people are not different from others ... I believe that such people are also normal, if not better."
Wheeled inside the auditorium by his father Vasudevan, a retired MTC conductor, Pulicat resident V Dinakaran can't walk due to his orthopaedic disability. "I've been dependent on my parents since I was born. But I hope to find someone who can take care of me for life," he said. For Jagadishan, two surgeries after a paralytic attack on his right side proved futile. The only child of his parents, he works as a hospital technician. His expect eyes light up when he says, "I am waiting for the right person!"
Among the matches already made, Dinesh Babu and Renita from Dindigul were beaming with gay abandon. While Dinesh is a driver and is not disabled, Renita has a deformity in her right hand. "My father is physically-challenged ... I know the pain of battling a handicap. So I decided to marry a woman with disability and provide her support," he said.
In 2013, swamyamvarams have been conducted in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Erode, Tiruvannamalai and Madurai in which 69 couple selected each other. The Chennai event saw a total of 32 couples saying "Yes, I do!"
Next in line is a counselling session for 100 couples and their marriage is to be solemnised on October 27, said Ashok Goyal, managing trustee of Gita Bhavan.
No comments:
Post a Comment