JOIN USChennai, DHNS: 23-year-old Sujatha (name changed) was under virtual house arrest for almost a week for professing to her parents that she has fallen in love with her friend, who belongs to a different caste.
Sujatha's mobile was snatched, she was confined to her house and was not allowed to meet anyone. That is when she heard of a mobile application called Kaadhal Aran (Protector of Love), which is aimed at helping people like her who face problems in pursuing their love life.
After great difficulty, she reclaimed her mobile phone and registered herself on the mobile application.
Soon, Sujatha received a call from a volunteer of Kaadhal Aran who got a thorough understanding of the situation that she finds herself in and promised all necessary help. Now, she is being attended to by a team from the group.
The mobile application, designed by techie Vasumathi Vasanthi at the request of activist Bharathi, has been downloaded over 1,000 times since its launch in February.
The motive of the group headed by Bharathi is to provide necessary help to couples who face problems from their own families in getting married.
Bharathi told DH that the brutal killing of 21-year-old Dalit youth Shankar in front of his wife Kausalya, who belonged to a dominant case, for marrying her in Tirupur in 2016 disturbed him "so terribly" that he decided to launch a forum to help such couples.
Kausalya's own father was sentenced to death by a court in the case recently.
"Once you register on the application, a message would be sent to our organisation. Immediately, we depute a volunteer to talk to the person. Based on the situation, we decide on the help. Some are in need of legal help, but some would just need help in finding an accommodation after having been deserted by their families," he said.
Vasanthi, who designed the mobile application, says she just wanted to integrate people who yearn for help during such circumstances and those who are ready to extend a helping hand.
"The mobile application has been downloaded over 1,000 times and we are happy that it is helping people who really don't know where to go during such difficult times," she said.
Bharathi said initiatives like his mobile application will help prevent suicide and honour killing that has become prevalent even in states like Tamil Nadu.
"Once someone gets in touch with us, we explain to them the legal procedure and first thing we ask them how sincere are they in their efforts. In some cases where girls are put under virtual house arrest, they might have to file case against their own parents. We explain to them the procedure and let them decide on the next course of action," he said.