Same Sex marriage is a pandora’s box for Bharat, even as judicial proceedings for its legalization is underway at the Supreme Court, a case against it
Navtej Singh Johar v/s Union of India was a transformational case in the constitutional history of Bharat.
It saw a five judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court striking down the draconian Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
It criminalized homosexual sex in India.
The verdict heralded a true moment of equality for India’s transgender community and provided a ray of hope for this beleaguered community.
Section 377 was an archaic law harking to the Colonial era.
But the situation surrounding same sex relationships are changing.
Even as the Supreme Court has allowed couples to ‘live-in’ or engage in co-habitation of heterosexual and homosexual couples alike.
The issue of marriage between same sex couples is a completely different altogether.
Same-Sex Marriage-A Fatal Proposition
In Greek mythology, Pandora’s Box was a mythical object that is said to have contained the evils that emanated from the First Titanomachy in Greek mythology.
Opening the box would result in great tragedy that will befall the world of human beings.
In that context, the issue of same-sex marriage is the same. It is a Pandora’s box of surprises.
There are a plethora of reasons for not undertaking this fatal proposition-
Against Basic Indian Ethos
Bharat’s civilizational ethos has always been accommodative of people irrespective of cultural, sexual and religious identities.
It, in fact, has been welcoming of this diversity.
But there is a point where the Laxman Rekha or tolerance line need to be drawn.
Same-Sex marriage is that. It goes against the basic norms and values of Indic values. While Sanatan Dharma has projected the idea of Ardh-Nareshwar or a fusion of man and woman, Hinduism, at least, implicitly never recognized the alien idea of same-sex marriage.
Not just Hinduism, other faiths like Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism etc. is silent on this issue.
Any debate on same-sex marriage in India will be incomplete without talking about Islam. Well, that religion recognizes as per injunctions from its scriptural sources two sexes- Man and Woman.
Just like apostasy and adultery is punishable with death in Islam, so is homosexuality, to say nothing of same-sex marriage.
It is in fact punishable with death penalty in many Muslim countries.
A Woke Product
Dare I say this, same-sex marriage is a product of Wokeism that has caused a identity crisis in the West, especially in USA.
Wokeism is already undermining the resilience of the American society and has ignited furious debates on University campuses, intellectual circles etc.
But even in those countries, people like Ben Shapiro, the psychologist Jordan Peterson among others have strongly voiced their opinion (not on this issue) but the sex change procedures and transgendarism.
But Indians cannot let themselves become a product of this fatal product of modernity.
India must not succumb to wokeism.
Too Much Modernity
Finally, same sex marriage is smacks of too much modernity.
India has known that the institution of marriage is between a sacred union between a man and a woman.
But certainly not a man and man or a woman or woman.
Therefore, it is very clear that for a fast growing economy like India too much modernity is not healthy, a blend of traditionalism and modernity will do just fine.
Hence, same-sex marriage is at best an abomination and must not be legitimized in a country like Bharat.
Otherwise, there is a chance that Bharat’s social fabric may unravel.
Same sex marriage, therefore, will undoubtedly be a pandora’s box in India’s case.