Second innings of companionship

Courtship is an integral part of humanity. Sharing of emotions and the feeling of togetherness makes one’s life blissful. As the adage goes in a marriage, man and woman are like two wheels of a vehicle, both have to be in tandem for a smooth sail of life. However, if one of the wheels parts, life goes haywire. Similarly, in the late ages of life, if one of the partners passes away, it leaves the other one in an immense sorrow and they feel lonely many a time.

To bridge this gap and giving senior citizens a second lease of amorous life two NGO’s ‘Anubandh’ and ‘Thodu Needa’ organised ‘Senior Citizens Jeevan Sathi Sammelan’, in the city to help lonely old age people to get life partners. Till date, Anubandh has conducted 116 marriages and Thodu Needa 100.

However, it is not that easy in our society to get remarried in that age. In the present scenario, many 50 plus aged people feel distressed and loneliness due to their partner’s sudden demise. Children of these parents feel ashamed and they often threaten them to leave them, etc. But the bold seniors on Sunday breaking all the shackles of moral policing by the children and society came together and embraced their second chance at life.

Satyanarayana, a retired Army man felt very lonely after his wife passed away. His children are well settled in various fields and have no time to spend with him due to their professions. To overcome his loneliness, with the support of NGO’s like ‘Anubandh’ and ‘Thodu Needa’, Satyanarayana married a woman of his age and is now living a happy life.

Anubandh along with Thodu Needa organised ‘Senior Citizens Jeevan Sathi Sammelan’ on Sunday for 50 plus men and women including unmarried, divorced and widowed, in the city. More than 200 people from all over the Telugu States participated in the event.

Addressing the gathering, Natubhai Patel, founder of Anubandh, said, “We started Anubandh in 2002 to help the old-age people to lead a life of peace and dignity at this stage of their life by providing them shelter, food, clothing, medicines, attendance, attention, and affection, thus making their life smooth and peaceful.”

“After the Gujarat Riots in 2002, many people who were aged 50 were remained left alone due to the loss of their families. At that time, we started Anubandh to give them food and other facilities. Later, we found that they wanted a partner to share their happy and sad moments and then we started performing marriages for them by convincing their children. Today, the Central and State governments do not even think about this lonely people,” he added.

Y Rajeshwari, President, ‘Thodu Needa’, said, “The Indian culture of joint families is nowhere existing in India now, due to many reasons. Children go to foreign countries and settle down there and that leads to the loneliness of parents. In many cases, most of the husband or wife face depression and loneliness if one of them passes away.”

“Children and society do not accept the second marriage of people in this age. After the age of 40, no one gets married and no matrimonial website in India has that option for these people. In some cases, children blackmail their parents that they will not perform final rituals if they get married again,” Y Rajeshwari lamented.

Before the introduction of the brides and grooms, the event organisers facilitated the couples who were leading a successful life after their second marriage. Many couples also shared their success stories with new brides and grooms.

By V Sateesh Reddy