After the Supreme Court’s judgment to decriminalise consensual sex between homosexuals, the nation’s idea of love has been redefined. But redefined to what?
In the seven shades of the rainbow, we have found a deeper meaning to love. On 6th September, in a historical statement, CJI Dipak Misra said, “I am what I am. So take me as I am. No one can escape from their individuality.” As millions of hearts swelled, enjoying this enhanced inclusivity in our society, there were others who were left to fend for their moralistic ideals. However, despite a widespread dissent, the celebration of love was awe-inspiring. Celebrations erupted in various colleges in the varsity. Within a week of the ruling, a couple of pride parades had already been organised successfully. In all their vividness and vibrancy, these parades are so much more than just colors, upbeat performances, or pretended interest. These parades are a celebration of love – an emotion that is warmly dynamic and passionately transparent, yet enigmatic. To celebrate this complexity, it requires more than just organizational skills. It requires heart.
CJI Dipak Misra, speaking for himself, and Justice A M Khanwilkar, said denial of self-expression is akin to inviting death. A delayed legal apology in garb of this decriminalization has been heartily welcomed. Notwithstanding sensibility, there has also been a backlash at the same ruling. The idealists and social intellectuals of their own makings have suddenly risen to a debate on the ethics of ‘unnatural sex’. It is necessary to mention this regression to completely understand how futile this movement will be, if we change only the law and not our thoughts. How can an act be called natural or unnatural? Is it because we indulge ourselves into believing that we can categorize all things, even humans? The problem with categorization is that it fails to hold true to its base model. Categories once defined, become distant over time, to grow into alienated, ostracised siblings, lost and forgotten. We cannot do away with categories completely, but we can understand how they form. For instance, the categories of humans based on their sexual orientations are structured on humanity; let us not forget this. If we hold this, we will know what it means to be human and that is to love.
Take, for instance, the Hindu College Pride Parade which was organized on 25th September. The Women’s Development Cell of Hindu College organised the pride parade in the college campus. With an active participation of performing and fine arts societies for exciting performances and face paintings, respectively, along with an Open mic on Homosexuality, the day was all colors and glamour, like many other parades around the varsity. When questioned about the struggles faced by the WDC in organising the parade, Palak Kothari, the General Secretary, said, “People sometimes make these parades only about the performances, forgetting the real motive behind them. Our biggest concern as a team was to make people understand the entirety of the issue in all its seriousness and sensitivity. Through this, we wish to lessen the slight homophobia that we seem to harbour despite everything. That we should be accepting, and that this acceptance should come from within, that was the biggest concern.” The pride balloons were shades of a rainbow, and in its roaring success, the campus saw a beautiful victory of love when the hearts were colored a rainbow too – for some time, certainly.
So, is it wrong to say then, that in recent times, our supporting a cause is because it is a fad? Does marching in a pride parade mean just painting rainbows and not be accepting? To say the least, to run away from this reality is denying yourself an identity. “Morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality. Only Constitutional morality exists in our country,” said CJI Dipak Misra. The idea of morality looms, always. Among the biggest challenges of organizing a pride parade is the challenging of this skewed idea of morality, ethical framework, and social prejudice. It is the challenge to our acceptance, and that’s all there is –A constant battle. You will decide how you rise up to this challenge, and you are the society. Indeed, the revoking of this ‘irrational, indefensible, and manifestly arbitrary’ law was necessary, but this is just the first step. Joining a movement should not only be about dressing up yourself, but also dressing up your mind.
Choose to see love. Choose to choose it and take pride in it.
Feature Image Credits:
Kartik Chauhan
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