I spent my day flying from Leh to Dehli then finally to Bangalore. Very little of consequence happened, which is a good thing for a travel day in my mind.
So for this post I’ll summarize two events from the news that fill me with hope that some of the darker elements of India are becoming nightmares of the past, and won’t continue to detract from the incredible energy that the country exudes.
First, the Supreme Court in Dehli ruled that any man who throws acid on the face of a woman who rejects his advances can be punished by a sentence of up to life in prison. This news item should not be interpreted to mean that this crime is commonplace, but it does happen and it’s reprehensible. If it wasn’t treated seriously before, I can only hope that this ruling means punishment will be meted with larger teeth going forward.
Second, the Court also struck down the use of a section of the Indian constitution related to sodomy to punish gays and lesbians. To quote from the Times of India, “fundamental rights should not be contingent on an individual’s sexual status or sexual conduct,” and “the state should not be allowed to interfere in the private intimate space of individuals in order to uphold its more absolute positions on what constitutes “good sex” and “bad sex.”” Pierre Trudeau said it with more flair, but the importance and truth of the statement is clear regardless.
