In a historic judgement, the Supreme Court ends Section 377, says that consensual sex between adults in private space, which is not harmful to women or children, cannot be denied as it is a matter of individual choice
New Delhi: Reacting to the landmark verdict by the Supreme Court that abolished the colonial Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the RSS seems to be quite wary. In spite of many historical references to such orientations in ancient scriptures, the organisation has deemed homosexuality as 'unnatural'.
The All India Campaign Chief of the Hindu nationalist organisation, Arun Kumar, said, "Like the Supreme Court's verdict, we do not even consider this as a crime. Gay marriage and relationship are not compatible with nature and are not natural, so we do not support this kind of relationship. Traditionally, India's society also does not recognize such relations."
They also said that same-sex relationships may need tackling at a psychological level. He added, "Humans generally learn from experiences, therefore, it is necessary to take this issue at social and psychological level."A five-member bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra gave the verdict decriminalising consensual homosexual sex in a landmark verdict today. The SC ruled that consensual adult gay sex is not a crime and people cannot alter their sexual orientation.
CJI Dipak Misra, while serving the verdict observed, “No one can escape from their individualism. Society is now better for individualism. In the present case, our deliberations will be on various spectrums.” He also added that criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible and that the LGBTQI community has the same rights as any other citizen.
The fight against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) began in 1994. After a group of health workers was denied the permission to distribute condoms among male inmates in Tihar Jail, the first petition against the Section 377 was filed. Kiran Bedi was the then-superintendent of Tihar Jail.
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