The recent Delhi High Court judgement that decriminalised homosexuality has created a hue and cry amongst various organizations, communities, intellectualls and many, but i feel its a welcome change, a wiff of fresh air to call a spade a spade and accept things as they are by shedding off masks of hypocricy.

Leaders of various religious groups have however described this judgement as shocking, deplorable and unfortunate and an attempt by various quarters to encourage and popularise “unnatural sexual behaviour or perversion” and a “calculated effort” to impose the western value system into a country like India with strong and rich cultural lineage. I however beg to differ.

I feel, sexual preference is an extremely personal choice and there should be no interference of the court into it. Moreover, It is we who determined terms as “sexually straight”. For homosexuals, the other part of the world may not seem ,”sexually straight”. Every human being has a right to his  or her sexuality and just because of someone’s preference one cannot criminalise him or her. We live in this society where homosexuality was existant since ancient ages. We know stories of homosexuals being employed by kings to protect queens in their harems.  The statues of the ancient monuments of  Konark, khajuraho etc of India has projected homosexuality present in those ages in India. The moral police opposing this judgement cannot call this as a western concept thus.

India, the world’s largest democracy, one of the most tolerant countries of the world, which together unites different castes, communities, creed and religion had to take this step ahead to live to its true sense of tolerance  against this minority community. This decision will help people not to be forced to feel ashamed for something which they cannot change. It is the way they are, and we have to respect them for it rather than criminalise them. Homosexuality is not a diesease or a disablement. It is there in our society and its high time we accept it and respect them for what they are. The very hypocricy and hush hush with which this topic is handed in our society have led to cases of forced marriages of homosexuals to a person of their opposite gender. This has ruined the life of so many young men and women. This decision will prevent unfortunate cases like this where at least such couples leading a false life can file for a divorce and live with partners of their choice.

I believe in respecting an indiviual for the way one is and giving him his rights to live…. right to sexuality is just one of them.  Lets have mutual respect and tolerance for everyone in the society we live in because every one is special in his or her own way and hence has the right to walk with his mind without fear and head held high. In the words of Gurudev Rabindranath Thakur,

“Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”

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