Hindutva votaries criticize Ramdev, support LGBT rights, say Hinduism "never opposed" homosexuality

By A Representative
Baba Ramdev calling homosexuality a "disease" and a “mental disorder” against the backdrop of the gruesome killings in Orlando, in which 49 were killed, has sparked a row among some of the most well-known votaries of Hindutva joining those who stand by LGBT rights.
While top journalist Burkha Dutt (@bdutt), soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment expressing shock at Orlando killings, said, "Our empathy more meaningful if we at least scrap 377", who who has sharply criticised Ramdev is Rupa Subramanya ‏(@rupasubramanya), a top Dutt critic, who has been involved in incessant arguments on twitter with her.
Section 377 of Indian Penal Code, a colonial era law, calls homosexuality an "unnatural offence", explaining as, "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."
In reply to a query posed by Counterview on Twitter on what she thought of Ramdev's view that homosexuality is a disease, Subramanya, an economist and a commentator, apart from being a prolific twitteratti, hsaid "Is Ramdev the Jesus/Prophet Mo of Hinduism? Referring to Hindu scriptures to justify his homophobia? Get your head out of your ass."
Subramanya retweeted someone who said, "I support gay rights and wish to see homosexuality decriminalised. But that won't prevent Islamist from killing gays", adding elsewhere, "A top Saudi cleric in May 2016 said 'Homosexuality not a deviation from Islam, should not be punished'." The Orlando shooter
is known to have called himself an ISIS supporter.
While some of Subramanya's prolific followers, who are not a few, tried to justify Ramdev saying, "To his credit, Ramdev only talks about homosexuality being curable" ‏(@ParinVShah), others declared, "Ramdev is not even respected by most Hindus" (‏@Kunthavi5) calling her rhetoric "moronic".
Another Hindutva votary Girish Saxena (‏@Girish_Saxena_), speaking in the context of the LGTB row, advised those who site Ramdev's example as a Hindutva sample, "Referring to Hinduism thy won't refer Vivekanand, Aurobindo, Vedas, Geeta but they refer to Sadhvi Prachi."
Saxena did not stop here. He advised those who oppose lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights to "visit Khajuraho and other temples, read books”, even as asking Baba Ramdev to "never give any statement who is homophobic." He further said, "In India, in last 5.000 yrs there's not a single incident where a LGBT is killed just because he's a LGBT."
One of the top supporters of LGBT rights in the Modi Cabinet is known to be Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who had caused a stir on saying, "When millions of people the world over are having alternative sexual preferences, it is too late in the day to propound a view that they should be jailed. The Delhi High Court's view appears more acceptable," he said.
Jaitley was referring to the 2009 Delhi High Court judgment which called Article 377 unconstitutional. The judgment was overturned by the Supreme Court, which said it was Parliament's prerogative to repeal or not repeal Section 377 of te IPC.
Divisions among the Hindutva enthusiasts on LGBT are not new. There have been sharp differences on the subject even within the RSS.
Earlier this year, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, declared “homosexuality should not be a crime”, though apparently under pressure, he later amended that comment by saying it was a "socially immoral act" that should be treated as a "psychological" case – a view held by Ramdev, too.

Comments

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Concerns raised over move to rename MGNREGA, critics call it politically motivated

By A Representative Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

From jobless to ‘job-loss’ growth: Experts critique gig economy and fintech risks

By A Representative Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia."

India’s Halal economy 'faces an uncertain future' under the new food Bill

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

School job scam and the future of university degree holders in West Bengal

By Harasankar Adhikari The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

Search This Blog