Knowing the 'Signs' of the Perfect Partner

05.01.2015, CHENNAI: 
Love is blind, some say. In the case of the speech and hearing impaired, it perhaps has no language.

The eighth Tamil Nadu Swayamvaram for the speech and hearing impaired was conducted by the publishers of Silence Brotherhood magazine – a publication for the speech and hearing impaired — to drive home the point that relationships last on unconditional love. It provided a platform for members of the speech and hearing impaired community to meet their matches.

The magazine’s founder-editor VR Venkatesan, conversing with the help of an interpreter, told City Express that the initiative began when he found out that parents of the deaf and dumb children had to struggle to find a partner for their sons and daughters. “Parents approached me asking if we could carry matrimonial advertisements as they were on the lookout for a bride or groom. It was then that we decided to provide a platform such as this where parents and the bride or groom themselves got an opportunity to select their partners,” he said.

Men and women lined up on the stage with an interpreter. Using sign language, they conveyed details of the family’s background as well as contact details. Interested matches exchanged contact details and horoscopes. The rest of the process mirrored any other marriage custom.

While there is enough scope for a differently-abled person to marry a person without disabilities, Bala Venkata Ram Rao, president of the All India Central Government Deaf Employees Association, said that such relationships most likely ended up in separation. The point was endorsed and reiterated by other members of the organisation to the prospective brides and grooms who were present. “Many a time, the issue starts with communication problem. The person without disabilities does not understand sign language and finds it difficult to communicate. A few months into the marriage, many such couples approach marriage counsellors,” said TP Vasantharaman, co-editor of the magazine.

“Even among speech and hearing impaired couples, the initial period is bound to be frustrating. But the key is to find ways and means to communicate better and remain patient. No problem is ever solved if one jumps the gun,” said Rao.