Bhaarath Vijay Ramesh and Deepika Kumaraswamy are sporting their best smiles as they face the guests. The hall in Perungalathur is packed to capacity. Bharath asks the DJ to stop playing the turntable and turns to the audience.
Microphone in hand, he starts talking about child sexual abuse (CSA). The guests have a puzzled look which fades away as Bhaarath explains how he works with the non-governmental organisation AWARE to create awareness about such issues.
Now, this scene is unfolding at Bhaarath and Deepika’s wedding reception. They had decided to celebrate their wedding in this exceptional manner.
Sandhiyan, the founder of AWARE, is soon invited to talk more about the topic, and the guests are all ears.
Since 2012, Bhaarath, who works for a United States-based start-up with a presence in Anna Nagar, has been engaged in various social services, including blood and organ donation and supporting the underprivileged.
“Every day, I read articles about child sexual abuse. However, though I would be uncomfortable while reading these articles and worry over the issue, I would eventually move on,” says Bhaarath, while recalling how he joined AWARE’s campaign to prevent sexual abuse of women and children.
While Bhaarath was busy with his work and volunteering-training sessions at the NGO, his parents were looking for a bride for him.
When they received the proposal from Deepika’s parents, Bhaarath learned that Deepika, an assistant professor at Stella Maris College, is also engaged in volunteering work involving such training sessions.
“The location of her training sessions seemed to match the location of AWARE’s sessions. I immediately looked up the organisation’s social media page and found Deepika’s photo” says Bhaarath, a resident of Veppampattu, Tiruvallur.
As the two got engaged, they started attending volunteering sessions and awareness campaigns together.
A dream to reality
“Talking about a sensitive topic such as sexual abuse to other volunteers is not as challenging as talking to your family and friends,” says Bhaarath, adding that relatives with school-going children had given him the cold shoulder when he initiated a talk.
And then, he hit upon the idea of using the reception stage to talk about the subject.
“At a wedding reception, the spotlight is on the bride and groom; a perfect opportunity to get everybody to listen. Deepika instantly warmed up to this plan. Our parents were also supportive of this plan,” he says.
The couple decided to let Sandhiyan do a five-minute presentation and chose a time when the crowd thickened.
“The guests did not seem to understand the subject, at first; but when I mentioned Hasini, the six-year-old from Porur, and Asifa, the eight-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir, both rape victims, they sat up and took notice. Later, a relative who had earlier rebuffed me when I tried discussing the subject with him, wanted to hear more about it,” says Bhaarath.