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Journalism of Courage
BANGALORE, April 26: Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, Bharathi and Ravi became man and wife on Sunday. Theirs is a wedding with a difference.
Bharathi’s father Ramanna had leprosy once. But this did not deter Ravi from consenting to marry her. Dr H P Nagendra Prasad and Sister Mary Mascerenhas of the Somannahalli Leprosy Rehabilitation and Training Centre were there to arrange the marriage.
But the chief guests themselves, Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar and City Police Commissioner L Revanasiddaiah, were conspicuous in their absence at the wedding that was to help remove the social stigma against lepers. Yet the couple was blessed by all those assembled at the function organised at Dr Hansen’s Mantapa, Basavanagudi.
Health and Family Welfare Services Department Director M T Hema Reddy, who attended the wedding, said it was unfortunate that the stigma attached to leprosy still continued. Such weddings will help remove the stigma, he added. It is important that awareness about the causes of leprosy be created among people, he added.
Kannada Sahitya Parishat president L Basavaradhya blessed the couple.
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