After resolving the caste, religion and sex divide, one more taboo Indians need to remove is that of homosexuality. Not only in India but across the world it is a grave reality that a Heterosexual rapist is socially more acceptable than a homosexual lover. Every liberal in India mock government, political organisations and conservative mob in India and fuel their support for decriminalization of homosexuality, since it is a criminal offence according to article 377 of Indian constitution.I will like to discuss the political position of various political players in this very article.
The Indian National Congress call the themselves as most liberal party in India. The grand old party is known to field Dr. Sashi Tharoor who presented bills in the parliament to scrap article 377. But I don’t think it’s enough until Rahul Gandhi, the vice president of INC, speaks up on this issue categorically. Initially the Communists used to speak on LGBT issue, but nowadays they seem very busy to give a thought on it. The Aam Aadmi Party, which promised to change India, seems to have muted its voice on this subject. I wonder the parties like SP, JD(U), JD(S), AIADMK, DMK, TDP, SAD, TMC, TRS, RPI, BSP (hope no one calls me anti-Dalit) etc. whether they know at least the full form of LGBT.
Since I live in Maharashtra I deny to mention the views of Shiv Sena (readers can understand my situation). The political problem with these parties is that they heavily depend upon the Muslim vote bank and homosexuality is not only a taboo in the Muslims but also a crime. So I never expect these self proclaimed secular parties would ever maintain a stance on this issue. They won’t oppose it but they would never support it. Perhaps they forgot the words of Margaret Thatcher – IF YOU STAND IN BETWEEN THE ROAD TRAFFIC HITS YOU FROM BOTH SIDES.
The BJP the largest party of the world (as they say) is also dumb on LGBT issue and so is our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP terms love jihad when a Hindu and a Muslim tie a knot so man with man is unacceptable to them. Baba Ramdev who is said to enjoy quite a bonhomie with BJP cracked a joke by terming homosexuality as a medical problem and claims to have found ayurvedic cure for it. But RSS the ideological mentor of the BJP confused me more. On March 18,2016 Dattatreya Hosbale, the joint secretary of RSS tweeted – ‘Homosexuality is not a crime, but socially immoral act in our society. No need to punish, but to be treated as a psychological case.’
Homosexuality is not a crime, but socially immoral act in our society. No need to punish, but to be treated as a psychological case.
— Dattatreya Hosabale (@DattaHosabale) March 18, 2016
Surprising isn’t it? The organization known as ultra conservative is literally saying that homosexuality is not a crime. But it isn’t urging the government to decriminalize it and neither asking BJP to support Dr. Tharoor when he comes up with bills in parliament.
The silver lining which I foresee is that RSS is at least keeping a stance unlike other parties. Dattatreya Hosbale calls homosexuality as socially immoral, he is not completely wrong but at same time he doesn’t need to dictate it. People know it is socially immoral in India to kiss publicly, to roam naked on roads, people know the limitations of society and RSS doesn’t need to remind it. But again they at least have a stance is worth appreciation.
My advice to gays is to knock the doors of RSS headquarters and ask them to harden their stance in accordance to their tweet. The gays should keep the reservations aside and with the help of RSS they should decriminalize their sexual activities.
I am warning the LGBT that so-called liberals won’t rescue them, but they can at least legalize themselves with conservatives. Remember, in Britain it were the conservatives who opposed voting rights to woman and they were the same ideologues who gave first woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. That’s the reason I think there is rightist solution for decriminalization of homosexuality.
(The name of writer is Varun Maturkar studying in Fergusson College and can be reached on twitter handle @MaturkarVarun. The writer took every precautions to avoid any insult on religion but apologies if anyone thinks the other way.)
