The question of homosexuality…

This past week has seen a flurry of activity by the “queer” community, and gay activists. Indeed, there have been LGBT rallies organized in Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. This comes in the wake of reports that Section 377, which concerns homosexuality, may be repealed, or at least amended. These events have surely put this issue in the spotlight. This Section 377, is rather vague. Though it doesn’t explicitly specify gays or lesbians, it supposedly can be used to prosecute them. In essence, homosexuality is, potentially, a crime in India. I say potentially because, this law has hardly ever been used. This law, along with several others, is a legacy of our colonial past, and a vestige from the British.

            One of the biggest criticisms of legalizing homosexuality is its “unnaturalness”. Well, these people exist. Their existence can’t be denied. If people still want proof of their existence, they need to see these “gay pride parades”, I suppose that’s the bottom line of such processions. Thus, having established their existence, I think it follows that its “natural” to them. They can’t be “artificial”. What, I’m trying to say is, that they are surely not fakers.

            Think about it, how can anyone fake something like this? There’re a thousand things one can fake, but surely not one’s sexual orientation. A straight guy would be would be filled with nothing but utter disgust, if he were to “think about another guy”.

And come what may, I think that feeling of disgust can never be removed, however you condition your mind. Because, its something we straight guys are born with. So, it is surely, impossible that all these people are actually straight people, faking to be gay!!!

            And probably, gay men feel the same disgust, if they were to “think about a girl”. Imagine if they were trapped in such a marriage, their whole married life would be, at least sexually, a torture. And then of course, would be the social stigma, if they were to speak openly about it. Such conditions, I believe, justify our deep empathies for gays and lesbians. Therefore, I support decriminalizing homosexuality, and also legalizing it.

            And then of course is the health issue. Just by banning something, we can not make sure that it doesn’t happen. For example, by banning prostitution, we have not removed it. Thus, even if one were to be against homosexuality, banning it wouldn’t stop it. In fact, it would push people underground. We know that AIDS is a big concern, especially among the gay community. India has the 2^nd largest number of AIDS patients in the world. Thus, it is completely to our advantage that we get them out into the open, and thus improve our chances, in this battle against AIDS.

            But lets not lose perspective here, this gay issue is hardly a political issue in India, unlike in the US, where political and public opinion is sharply divided. This is both a disadvantage and an advantage. It’s a disadvantage, because they can never really build a mass movement for their cause. But, it’s an advantage too, because, those opposing gay rights too can’t build mass protests for their cause. Lets face it, this Gay Rights Movement in India, is an extremely urban thing, that too, within a very small section of society. So, there is a very small likelihood for this issue to become a hot political issue. Thus, the govt can do the right thing and repeal these laws, without creating too many noises now. That’s why this is such an opportune moment.

            Above all, India is a tolerant, accepting society. We may not understand their nature completely, but that shouldn’t come in the way of us accepting them.

 

PS: I may have used “them” and “us” in this article. Don’t misunderstand that to mean that I see them as different, and that I detest them. Me using such words has no such negative connotation. It was just a way to get the message across.

                                    

Lalgarh: Some thoughts...

The operation to reclaim Lalgarh is on its last leg. Its fair to say that the Naxals are close to being beaten comprehensively in Lalgarh. So what does India think about this? That after Singur and Nandigram, Lalgarh has emerged as the next hot-bed for anti-CPMism in Bengal? Thus, that CPM’s days are numbered in Bengal? That people are finally fed up of the Left Front?

Questions like these are doing the rounds not just in political circles, but also in the media. But, I feel these are a long way off the reality of the situation in Lalgarh.

I don’t know whether CPM’s days are numbered, or if people in Bengal are fed up with the Left, but I’m sure that Lalgarh has nothing to do with Singur and Nandigram.

            Such comparisons are false and quite ignorant. The situations are completely different. Singur and Nandigram were people’s protests against what they perceived as anti-people policies of the Left Front govt. such protests, are frankly, not alarming. They only reflect some unpopular policies, these are problems that can be solved.

            But Lalgarh is deeper. It strikes at the very heart of India’s authority over its own territory. And Lalgarh is only the tip of the iceberg, there are many more Lalgarhs waiting to happen. In fact, the Naxals have already made vast areas unreachable to the govt. The Naxals are quite simply, India’s biggest threat to internal security. And I’m glad the govt has woken up to this menace. But this is only one side of the story.

            The Naxals are just the symptoms; the disease itself is deeper, and more entrenched. It is the failure of successive governments in places like Jharkhand, parts of orissa, chattisgarh, it is a failure of the state, to integrate the tribals, adivasis to the economic mainstream of the nation.

            Just consider, Jharkhand is one of India’s richest states, in terms of mineral wealth, yet the state has been left impoverished. Jharkhand’s the closest India has to Africa… rich, used and impoverished.

            It’s true that Naxals originated in Bengal, from Naxalbari. But successive and successful implementation of Land Reforms by the Left Front governments removed many of the problems faced by these people. Indeed, over 70% of the land in Lalgarh and surrounding districts is owned by adivasis themselves. There is no doubt that these land reforms were, by far, Left’s greatest achievement in Bengal. It’s a pity that such policies could not be implemented in other parts of the country, by other state governments. The effect of these land reforms were so good that, they alone were reason enough for the people to vote the Left back for 6 consecutive terms! Thus, in the absence of such under-development and impoverishment, the Naxal ideology failed to take hold in Bengal.

But it found resonance in nearby Jharkhand, and Orissa, where colonial,feudal structures of power hadn’t yet evolved, where the riches of the land weren’t shared, where the land made a few people richer, and left the others untouched. Indeed, “Rich got richer, Poor got poorer!!!”

Such abject poverty and deprivation attracted missionaries, ministries and churches. To them, they were good fodder, and mass conversions were organized, with negligible change in their economic standing. None the less, the missionaries’ efforts on improving the healthcare, and educational infrastructures in these areas can’t be ignored. As these missionaries’ reach and influence grew, the “Hindutva” forces became alarmed, and they too came and did similar work. Thus, while I congratulate these religious groups for improving the lives of these people, by a small extent, they have hijacked the issue to suit their religious agendas. To them, the issue is no longer of mass-poverty, but of showing off their “religious superiority”. And in this battle, were trapped the lives of most of the tribals.

Then, of course is the shameful failure of the political class to show any sort of leadership, any sort of interest in the lives of the adivasis. They conveniently got involved in the “battle of religions” described above. Have no doubts about this, events like Kandhamal are a national shame, and are a result of such a brand of politics. Thus, the conditions are ripe for the continued support for these Naxals, in these states, for there is very little effort being made, to address their concerns. When was the last time Jharkhand had a functional government? The Chattisgarh govt goes even further, coming up with “novel ideas” of fighting the Naxals without the state police, but with the Salwa Judum. Such illegitimate organizations perpetuate the feudal structures of power, thus blinding the govt to the real issue, while creating newer problems.

Yet, this battle is not a lost cause. We have the power to transform these areas. Concepts like the NREGA, RTI, etc are landmark policies, which can change their lives for the better. These areas, are desperately crying out for effective implementation of these Acts. The importance of their implementation can’t be exaggerated. If we’re serious in our fight against the Naxals, this has just, got to be done. If not for these people, at least for giving meaning to India’s authority over its own territory…

Finally...

Well, I have finally created my own blog. I so badly wanted to call it retardo.blogspot, but for some unjustified reason, some other idiot has already used it. And worse, that idiot has just one article, posted in 2002!!! Even worse, that one post is like "i was chucked out of wordpress, so just wanted to check out blogspot...". damn...

Destiny... the cosmos has conspired, to make sure I don't name my blog appropriately. So, please, pardon me for this hideous name...

Next, I would try as much as possible, to post every 2 days at least. Obviously, it would be difficult to keep this commitment.  But, lets see...

This blog will obviously reflect my interests like politics, football, cricket, movies, etc... but, i'll take special care to make sure that this blog doesn't become some farce(ironic. given its name, but irony's the name of the game), I want this place to be serious(no, seriously!)...

And I have this awful habit of ending with 3 full stops, instead of one, so please dont mind...

Above all, I hope this blog generates debate. Thats the whole point. I never really wanted to have a blog because I knew for sure, that I'm way too lazy to maintain a blog an all... but, I also realised, that I have a LOT of opinions, on so many topics. Most of these opinions, i just mutter away to anybody closeby(mostly my mom, or a few of my friends). I dont wanna forget these opinions. I believe remembering these opinions will serve me well in my future, to know how my ideas, and opinions have changed, evolved, or been polished over the years...

India is an arguementative soceity. I wanna keep these traditions alive. So should you...

So, please do comment on my posts...