Acceptance not limited to court
SAYAN BHATTACHARYA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, HARRIET TUBMAN DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN, GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, US
The matter of marriage equality is still being heard at the Supreme Court (SC), but certain themes have emerged that offer indications about the road ahead.
The Centre has made clear its opposition to the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community within the ambit of marriage. In a recent interview, Kiran Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice, said marriage is an ancient institution that should be debated in Parliament by elected representatives and not in a court of law. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, in its petition to SC, says the court should invite all states as party to the matter if it proceeds with hearings. If such debates have not occurred so far, how likely are they to take place in the future?
The Centre’s position on marriage has been consistent since the decriminalisation of Section 377 in 2018. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta in the ongoing hearings has repeatedly pointed to the definition of man and woman based on biology, and this binary as the foundation of a Hindu marriage. This prompted Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud to say the “notion of a man and a woman is not an absolute based on genitals.”
This story is from the May 01, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 01, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE