Political Parties Shun Debate on Gay Sex
LGBTs have won their first battle and are yet to recover from the historic euphoria over the achievement. But voices of all human rights activists and judiciary have fallen on deaf ears in India’s political corridors. While some politicos are shrewd enough not to poke their nose in the matter, others are outrightly upfront about their opposition. Take the dose:
“It is a very dangerous thing the Delhi High Court has said that it (homosexuality) is not a crime and the law must be amended. I will raise this topic in Parliament and the amendment (to the law) should not be done,” this one from the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav (he wants revolution, counter-revolution, more of it.)
“It should never be legalized in India,” he goes on in the same vien. “Some people may like or consent to these things, but these things are not acceptable in our society and we don’t like all these things and it is very bad. It can lead to wrongdoings in the world, All these are nonsense and bad things.”
His colleague, JDU chief Sharad Yadav differs with him and was willing to accept the Delhi High Court order saying Homosexuality was not an issue in the country, but has his own suspicions. He says, while admitting homosexuality as “age-old” in India, that it is in fact a ploy of the government to divert attention from the real issue.
Government, as reports reveal, is treading cautiously on the matter with three key ministers concerned with concerns of LGBT lobby P Chidambaram, M Veerappa Moily and Ghulam Nabi Azad holding meeting and talks, talks and meeting, (not) to decide the issue.
Moily, as he told reporters later, would submit a report to premier Manmohan Singh who has to take a final decision on the fate of colonial law.
Of so many political parties of this incredible multi-party democracy, it is the CPM which has shown the courage to hail the landmark verdict. The mighty Congress and powerful BJP are cautious to make their stand known to the public.
