THE United Nations had decided to confer the same benefits on same-sex spouses of its employees as on spouses of heterosexual marriages. Russia brought a resolution opposing it. India supported the Russian resolution and joined a club of illiberal countries led by Saudi Arabia. 80 member countries of the UN went against the Russian resolution. India’s stand has caused disappointment in many quarters. However, the country has seen some progressive changes internally. The NDA and other political parties are expected to push for repeal of Section 377 of the IPC. India’s decision to support the Russian resolution at the UN was apparently owing to administrative issues concerning the functioning of the world body. Section 377 smacks of morality dating back to the Victorian age. What should guide the Indian parliament is the morality behind the Constitution of modern India. Sexual differentiation goes against such moral principles.
Scrapping Section 377 does not mean that the Indian government would move towards a radical departure from the present order of things. The UPA II government indirectly supported its rejection. In 2002 the government told the Supreme Court that it accepted a Delhi high court resolution about repealing Section 377 which militated against the spirit of the Constitution. There is growing support in the new parliament for the move to do away with this hangover from British colonialism. In the Vatican, Pope Francis has been lenient on homosexuality. All this is fine. But there may be difference of opinion over gay marriages which do not lead to procreation of children. That makes such marriages unnecessary.
