Cultured Class with its Section 377 in its 'pallu'

A year earlier (2017), India witnessed an intrinsic natural right, become a fundamental right but obviously, still really far from being absolute. Nevertheless, today is a proud moment for the country to witness the absolute shameful section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalized a natural feeling toward another, struck down! Sexual acts in private, regardless of gender, are none of anyone’s business until coerced into the act of it.

Did the British really cage our minds, or were we the ones who perpetrated this disgraceful section even after Independence? This archaic law dated back to 1861 and criminalised sexual activities against the order of nature. It stated: “Whoever voluntarily has carnal inter­course against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with 1[imprisonment for life], or with impris­onment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

After Independence, it was left to us, to decide whether such sections should or should not be amended. But today, in the world’s largest democracy, we can celebrate not to be put in jail for being who we are. But have we won the freedom to just be? Will so many of us dare to come out of the closet not fearing the majority that has their minds in the closet?

Following is an attempt to tap into the pain that homosexuals have felt for so long and will continue to feel till a generation of people are not wiped out with education and literacy!

Indiya, the land of ants.

With the largest population of ants, Indiya was the largest democrantcy, but the least democrantic in practice. With the queen M trying to make things better for her colony, the Rival ant parties barking it to shame, the court of Indiya could only do its bit.

Antonio was roaming in the canteen where he found some pieces of donut which he instantly rushed to Anthany. Hiding from the cultured class of ants, saving face from curse and spits, he reached to his beloved. In his soft voice, he offered the piece of donut to his soulmate with a scarred face. While they ate peacefully under a Banyan tree, suddenly, Anthany had to rush in fear as he sighted a group of ants with 'pallus' around their bodies, some ants wearing lipstick, some wearing spectacles and some wearing a tie, they looked just like anybody, marching towards them. Antonio, poor Antonio still perplexed and confused, felt this ache in his tiny heart, felt this fire, but could not do anything about it. Anthany was nowhere to be seen. While some Ant boys and girls came out of the dark holes, where they hid for such a long time, some were still scared!

Antonio never understood why would the so called cultured ants be against the law of nature? Against something that he felt so effortlessly and so happy about? He wondered what if he lived in an era where female ants and male ants couldn’t be together, what if that would have been considered against nature? Well, then he thought, the cultured class would have died very quickly, as no ant would have procreated more like them, may be would have been better!

He laughed and cherished the union of his friend, Antara and Anthom, how they loved making love- how freely did they make love. He instantly felt bad for Antara, as she was horribly judged by the cultured class to not be married to Anthom and still engage in an heinous act like that! It was still sad for heterogenous couples, what could he expect for the homosexual couples? Antonio wondered, who gave this cultured class the right to judge, demean, rule over our colony, our minds? He heard stories of a foreign colony of ants ruling over their land, some 72 years ago and making his love a crime -for over 158 years, but he wondered why haven’t they left the ants minds even after almost half a decade? Not like 150 year old ants are still around? Little did he understand, how venom can spread through generations, little did he understand, it might takes generations for “kinds like him” to truly celebrate their love in Indiya! He heard that the foreign ruling colony had set his kind free long time back but why couldn't he spend the rest of his life with his loved one? Will he have to cross oceans to do so? Should he run away? Should he wait or should he die? He stopped and paused and started laughing at the cultured class, thinking of them as cowards to be blaming the foreigners for their inhumane godly complex!

He still wonders what else will it take for them to accept his love to be natural, true, and right, besides the law of the land!