Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Intolerance is not in our culture

The recent furore over the Section 377 ruling with the major political party opposing the acceptance of homosexuality, stating that it is against our culture, while disappointing is not really much of a surprise.  We have seen it happen multiple times- women going to pubs was seen as an affront to culture, speaking about pre-marital sex was considered a moral crime  and so was celebrating Valentine's day. Whether the party really believes that these are all against  Indian culture or if they are doing it to appeal to some section of the votebank, is anybody's guess.

But what they are not considering is the fact that "culture" as we speak of it today is not  fixed- it is something fluid and dynamic, something that evolves as we move towards being a different and progressive society. We are currently not upholding the culture of the Indus valley civilisation, what we consider as culture is really an amalgamation of contributions from various past societies, each of whom have added their flavour.

If we were to stick to rigidities and not change anything we would be living in the very ancient past- which if the texts are to be believed, was a much freer society than today. Prostitutes were legal and respected, women were allowed to have more than one husband, and after the practice of one husband set in, they were allowed to have children by other men with the consent of the husband. Somewhere along the line, these rules shifted to become more rigid , possibly because the styles of living changed.  In those days, transgenders, eunuchs and other different people were respected and treated alike. Devdutt Patnaik has eloquently written about the importance of Shikandin- neither a man nor a woman, in the Mahabharata, and the many instances of transgenders in other texts such as Ramayana. Arjuna, who is one of the most revered heroes of the mythologies, spent a year as a eunuch. While it was not the best way to live, he certainly seems to have had much more respect than a gay person does in modern India.

And this is not an isolated incident. Women wearing western clothes is considered erosion of Indian culture. However using televisions, smartphones and BMWs is not. While men strut around in their T-shirts and fancy cars, women are supposed to be sitting at home in sarees upholding Indian culture.  The actress who spoke in public for the use of condoms to prevent AIDS, was insulted and humiliated with brooms and chappals, as pre-marital sex was against Tamil culture. Apparently beating unarmed women with brooms and chappals was very much a part of Tamil culture. And incidentally, Tiruchengode- a place in TN supposedly has amongst the highest AIDS ratios in the country.  While people conveniently give up their culture for convenience, there seems to be a huge uproar when other people give up theirs. Slavery, sati system, dowry system, and untouchability were all a part of the past. Should we continue clinging to them ridiculously as giving them up would mean that we are disowning our past?

This is not to say that we shun everything in our quest for progression and convenience. A lot of people strive to protect parts of their culture-specially when it is art. Usually a lost craft, a disappearing style of music or dance, or a language which is fast moving into obscurity are  forms of art that people cherish and therefore, struggle to preserve. That is preserving beauty for the sake of beauty.  There is no reason hold on  to silly practices that bring no joy to anyone and have no tangible use.

What  is even more irksome is that all this is done under the name of Hinduism. It is one of the most tolerant systems in the world. It imposes no restrictions, judges no one and offers everyone a guidance to lead a good life. So, this is for all the bigots- be as judgemental,  homophobic and intolerant as you wish to be. But dont blame it on the gods. They are all inclusive.