Fehmida’s father then lodged an FIR against Singh who was arrested and tortured while in police custody. The couple was on the run until they met Sanjoy Sachdev from the voluntary organization that goes by the unusual name of Love Commandos.
Sachdev, who is also a journalist, had quite a few police contacts himself. Armed with evidence that Lokendra and Fehmida had indeed wed—there were photographs and video recordings as well as a petition in the Gwalior High Court to back it—Sachdev managed to get police protection for the couple against the girl’s family.
The Singhs live a relatively happier life now without the constant worry of death threats from either family.
In another case, Anil and Rupa who met at a friend’s wedding were preparing to tie the knot when the threats began. In the interiors of a small village in Andhra Pradesh, the union of two people from different castes was seen as socially unacceptable with Rupa’s parents threatening to kill Anil who comes from a lower caste.
The two had vowed to elope and get married, but they needed a large dose of courage to take the next step. Enter the Love Commandos (LC). Sachdev (chairman of the NGO) and his volunteers accompanied the pair to court where they were legally married. The two were later given a place to stay for two weeks at one of the seven shelter homes run by the NGO.
Love Commandos was set up in 2010 primarily “to fight honour killings”. That aim has been expanded, given the many challenges young people in India are up against in marrying outside of accepted societal norms. The NGO currently works with young couples who wish to tie the knot despite intense opposition from their families. Love Commandos say they have thousands of volunteers working for them around the country and have managed to help unite over 30,000 couples.
“Those who oppose love are going against nature,” Sanjoy Sachdev believes. “No religion bars inter-religious or inter-caste marriages. When our history talks of unions like Jodha-Akhbar and Parvathi-Shiva (who came from different castes) I find it difficult to understand why inter-religious and inter-caste marriages are seen as a social embarrassment,” he told Herald Review.
Anil and Rupa were comparatively lucky they escaped harm, with violent reprisals often the outcome when couples resist family pressure.
Honour killings and khap panchayats are the very reasons that brought about the creation of Love Commandos. “There is no honour in honour killing,” emphasizes Sachdev, who was featured in a 2011 episode of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate.
The journey has been no cakewalk though. Sachdev and his team of “love commanders” have faced death threats and protests in which their effigies have been burnt. Recently, he learnt a bounty has been put out on his head. None of it has stopped him from running to the aid of the hundreds of calls he gets almost every day.
LC is headquartered in Delhi and has managed to attract thousands of volunteers all over the country that include lawyers, journalists as well as human rights activists. The youth forms the major part of the group.
“The youth today go after what they set their minds on. They may be seen as rebellious, but it is my belief that love marriages eliminate social evils like alcohol, dowry and religious fundamentalism,” says Sachdev.
In the past, Delhi was considered the most intolerant to inter-faith and caste marriages. But since the LC helpline was set up here four years ago, the number of cases have dropped and distress calls come in more from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab as well as Tamil Nadu.
The North Eastern states and Goa are relatively better off, points out Sachdev. “In places like Mizoram, people are known to fall in love and then marry. So it isn’t considered taboo to fall in love. Goa too is known for promoting love. We’ve only had to deal with eight cases in four years from Goa,” he says.
Regressive attitudes have little to do with one’s level of education or position in society. Love Commandos have come to the aid of young people cutting across all classes and castes—from those whose families come with an IAS pedigree, legal backgrounds, business classes and even police personnel.
With seven shelters used to house over 60 couples, Sachdev admits finances are a real struggle. Donations have come in the past from people like tennis player Bjorn Borg and shaddi.com owner Anupam Mittal. But there is a constant need for help financially, he says.
Review Bureau
