New Delhi, Feb 15
For the past few weeks,
Rohit (name changed) had been planning to run away from home and finally
took the step on his wedding day. Though the decision brought
embarrassment to his family, he was left with no other option if he had
to get the love of his life. And to his rescue came "Love Commandos" who
also provided him a safe refuge.
Like for Rohit, Delhi-based
Love Commandos, comes to the aid of such couples who are either forced
into marriage by their families or oppose their "love marriage".
"My
parents fixed my marriage within two days and I wasn't ready because I
am in love with someone else. They didn't even listen to me. So the only
option I was left with was to run away," Rohit, a BPO employee, told
IANS, adding that he got in touch with Love Commandos a few days prior
to his wedding.
Formerly "Peace Commandos" that supported young
couples in celebrating Valentine's Day "fearlessly", they transformed
into Love Commandos in 2010 after founder Sanjoy Sachdev helped free a
young man falsely implicated of rape .
"The poor man was
implicated by the father of the girl he loved. This is when I decided to
help couples in despair and started two helplines where they could seek
help," Sachdev, a former journalist, told IANS.
So far, the
organisation has helped around 38,000 couples start a new chapter in
their lives. Such distraught couples, who in most cases have eloped
without their families' consent, are provided with a roof above their
heads at "undisclosed" shelter homes run by Love Commandos.
In
addition to these shelter homes spread across seven locations in the
national capital, the organisation also operates 300 make-shift shelters
across the country. These shelters are run by those couples who once
took refuge with the organisation and today live independently.
"We
not only provide them with shelter, we also prepare them for the future
where in all possibility, they would be living as a nuclear family,"
Sachdev added.
This is the reason why couples who take refuge at these homes are expected to follow certain "home rules."
"You
will find it surprising that we have a few rules in these houses that
prepare these couples for a better future. The home chores are divided,
and the women only cook. The men are expected to help by washing
utensils, cleaning the house and cutting vegetables," said Sachdev.
"This,
we believe, would make their future life easy where the women wouldn't
be expected to do the entire household work. In many cases, women might
work because they won't have any family support. So we try to help them
settle work distribution for a better married life," he added.
Apart from this, no one is allowed to use the internet or mobile phones for "security reasons".
So, how is the credibility of the couples ascertained?
"When
someone calls on our helpline, we ask for their age and address proof.
We have nearly 15 lakh volunteers working across India who do a
background check to find out if they are genuinely facing problems,"
Sachdev explained.
He added that the couples are only approached after all the background check is completed and deemed authentic.
"This
is our way of giving a voice to the youth, and an attempt to make a new
India where the youth can follow its heart while also using its mind,"
he said.
The organisation can be contacted on 09313784375 and 09313550006 and also emailed at [email protected].
Rohit summed up the feelings of couple who go through traumatic times.
"Nobody
wants to go against their family wishes but at times, you have no
choice because you know that you are doing the right thing by not
compromising with the love of your life.
"But in tough times like
this, how much can a person rely on his friends? How long can a person
hide or run away? There is always a danger of getting caught in legal
battles. Many couples give up because they don't have a support system.
But an organisation like this helps you to prepare for better future.
Love is not a crime, it is something that gives you strength. So one has
to fight for it," Rohit added.
(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at [email protected]. Shweta Sharma can be contacted a [email protected])
