Life happened because I turned the pages~~Alberto Manguel

Monday, September 18, 2006

Vikram Seth leads fight for gay rights

"There should be no discrimination in India on the grounds of sexual orientation. In the name of humanity and our Constitution, this cruel and discriminatory law should be struck down." (signed Vikram Seth, Swami Agnivesh, Soli Sorabjee and over a hundred prominent Indians).
Section 377, in case you didn't know, is a 145-year-old law that effectively criminalises gay relationships. Prof Amartya Sen calls the law "a colonial-era monstrosity"; the Delhi High Court will rule on Section 377 next month. Earlier this year, in January, Seth was blunt, calling the law "barbaric". His voice should make a difference; he's one of the most respected writers from the country.

And I still like this relatively early Seth poem:

Dubious

Some men like Jack and some like Jill
I'm glad I like them both but still
I wonder if this freewheeling
Really is an enlightened thing,
Or is its greater scope a sign
Of deviance from some party line?
In the strict ranks of Gay and Straight
What is my status: Stray? Or Great?

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3 Comments:

i'd love vikram seth for just a single page of one of his novels, but that poem elevated him to a personal literary pantheon of sorts. I am very fond of quoting it at people who like to leap to assumptions.

By Blogger kitabet, at 9/19/2006 07:22:00 PM  

Its good that the onus of liberating the shackled minds of our generation is in good hands.

By Blogger 1310, at 9/20/2006 03:20:00 PM  

"Being bisexual doubles your chances of getting some on a Friday night" - Woody Allen.

Our case rests.

By Blogger Arthur Quiller Couch, at 9/26/2006 12:02:00 AM  

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