IN A bizarre incident, two women committed suicide by setting themselves on fire. The incident occurred on May 17, 2008. The deceased were identified as Christy Jayanthi Malar (38) and Rukmani (40). According to police reports, they were hugging each other when they set themselves ablaze and succumbed to the wounds. The two women had been lovers for the past ten years against the wishes of their natal families and their husbands.  

This is the eighth and latest in the list of lesbian suicides that have been reported in Tamilnadu since the beginning of 2008. In the bordering state of Kerala, more than 35 couples have committed suicide in the past 10 years. It may be noted that these are the cases that have been reported. There are many more cases that go unreported.

The struggle of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people in India has continued for 15 years now.

The hearing on the petition for the repeal of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (that criminalises “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”), is in progress in the Delhi High Court and has reached the level of final arguments.

There are organisations in all the major cities and towns in India that work on sexuality rights and have been doing so for more than a decade. Some of the most important thinkers and individuals of India today, including Vikram Seth, Amartya Sen, Barkha Dutt and so on have signed an open letter demanding the repeal of section 377. About 14 organisations and eight prominent personalities have supported the cause. Just next door, Nepal has elected its first openly gay MP. It is in this context that Malar and Rukmani committed suicide.

Issues of early and forced marriage and subsequent lack of independence or mobility for women are a fact in most parts of the country as it is in Tamilnadu. Domestic violence continues to remain a significant issue. Repression of same-sex desire is part of this same continuance of violence, and as we can clearly see, the cost of this repression is the loss of human lives.

Sexual orientation and/or preferences are concerned with every individual’s desire and right. With the complete lack of awareness about the same-sex desire, coupled with gruesome repression, we are going to witness more such tragic incidents as the death of Malar and Rukmani.

If we have to put a stop to this, it is imperative that we make efforts to dispel the myths around same-sex desire and acknowledge it in clear terms. Same-sex desire is not a disease. We need to know that there is nothing abnormal about same-sex desire. The problem is that we consider ’normal’ to be in ’one’ kind of intimate relationship and anything outside of it (like inter-caste romantic relationships and marriage) is deemed ’abnormal’.

There is nothing ’unnatural’ about same-sex love. In fact, the concept of natural itself can be questioned as not all things that are part of our everyday lives are ’natural’; plastic, for instance, or coca cola. Besides, species of animals are proven to be engaging in homosexual activity. It is not a concept that has come from the West as Saleem Kidwai and Ruth Vanita explain in their book ’Same-sex Love in India - Readings from History and Literature’. Same sex love is not a concept imported from the West. The sculptures of Khajuraho and Konark are ample evidence to it.

Apart from this, Tamilnadu is also the land of Periyar who, as early as the 1930s, spoke vehemently about equality for women as well as against marriage as it was prevalent then. The dictum of the ’self-respect marriage’ not only shuns Brahminical rituals but also supports different kinds of desire within the institution of marriage. Periyar and other people in the self-respect movement argued for intimate relationships, marriages and desires being one that is the choice of every individual and cannot be impinged upon by the forces of caste, religion and family. It is from this history of radical politics that Tamilnadu has emerged.

In spite of this illustrious history, the state has repeatedly been excessively repressive about issues relating to sexuality. It is time we break the silence and speak out on issues concerning sexuality.

We must now move further to talk openly about sexuality. The death of Malar and Rukmani are newer testimonies that urge us to do so. We need to take constructive more steps towards providing awareness about, and support to, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people in Tamilnadu and elsewhere.

The repression of same-sex desire is not just a case of imposing one kind of desire and lifestyle on everyone, but is one that often paves the path to a question of life or death. The progressive groups and individuals in Tamilnadu, as well as the state government, should acknowledge the reality of this repression and provide the space for every human being to uphold their right to live and love with freedom, dignity, and respect, irrespective of their caste, class, religion, gender and sexual orientation.

india.merinews.com

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