Skip to main content

Being gay still illegal in Indian Army, 'high time' military gets in sync with times

Counterview Desk 

An online petition has been floated, addressed to Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India, stating that, in a landmark judgement handed down in 2018, the Supreme Court overturned a colonial-era law that criminalizes homosexual activities.
"After all these years, it’s high time the military gets in sync with the spirit of the time", the petition insists, pointing towards how his ministry is "censoring a film that shows a gay soldier", calling it "a major blow to the creativity of an industry India should be proud of."
"Mr Singh, we call on you to reverse the Ministry of Defence’s decision to reject a film about a gay man in the Army", adding, "The ministry should rethink its stand on this issue, which is inspired by a real-life struggle."

Text:

In India, any film showing content relating to the defence forces is required to get clearance from the Ministry of Defence.
That’s why, on December 16, 2021, Indian award-winning filmmaker and gay rights advocate Onir submitted to the Ministry of Defence the script of his new film, inspired by the story of a gay Major who quit the service.
After working freely on movies portraying queer lives and showing police abuse of gay characters, even when same-sex relationships were criminalized in India, he couldn’t expect that a fictitious story about a gay man in the Army, would be met with censorship in 2022.
But that is what has happened, despite the script being very respectful of the Army: On January 20, 2022, the Ministry of Defence communicated to the filmmaker that the script “has been analysed in detail. It is regretted to inform that the script has not been cleared by IHQ of MoD (Army).”
On questioning, Onir was told on a call that there was no specific problem with the script, but it cannot be cleared as being gay is “illegal” in the army.
Despite the Indian Supreme Court decriminalizing consensual same-sex relationships in 2018, it looks like the Indian Army have not recognized it yet and still treat anyone from the queer community as illegal.
This story has already been in the public domain for over two years, since Major J Suresh, who has retired now, gave an interview to New Delhi Television (NDTV) about his not being able to be himself in the Army and, therefore, having to quit it, to be honest to himself.
This story has to be told because it’s unacceptable that being queer still does not allow someone to serve the nation that they love by joining the Army.
---
Click here to sign the petition 

Comments

TRENDING

'Draconian' Kerala health law follows WHO diktat: Govt readies to take harsh measures

By Dr Maya Valecha*  The Governor of Kerala has signed the Kerala Public Health Bill, which essentially reverses the people’s campaign in healthcare services in Kerala for decentralisation. The campaign had led to relinquishing of state powers in 1996, resulting in improvement of health parameters in Kerala. Instead, now, enforcement of law through the exercise of power, fines, etc., and the implementation of protocol during the pandemic, are considered of prime importance.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Bihar rural women entrepreneurs witness 50% surge in awareness about renewal energy

By Mignonne Dsouza*  An endline survey conducted under the Bolega Bihar initiative revealed a significant increase in awareness of renewable energy among women, rising from 25% to 76% in Nalanda and Gaya. Renu Kumari, a 34-year-old entrepreneur from Nalanda, Bihar, operates a village eatery that serves as the primary source of income for her family, including her husband and five children. However, a significant portion of her profits was being directed toward covering monthly electricity expenses that usually reach Rs 2,000. 

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.

Work with Rajasthan's camel herders: German scientist wins World Cookbook Award 2023

By Rosamma Thomas*  Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are the only awards for international food culture. This year, German scientist  Ilse Kohler Rollefson , founder of Camel Charisma, the first of India’s camel dairies, in Pali district of Rajasthan, won the award for her work with camel herders in Rajasthan, and for preparing for the UN International Year of Camelids, 2024. 

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco*  Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

'Pro-corporate agenda': Odisha crackdown on tribal slum dwellers fighting for land rights

By Our Representative  The civil rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), even as condemning what it calls “brutal repression” on the Adivasi slum dwellers of Salia Sahi in Bhubaneshwar by the Odisha police, has said that the crackdown was against the tribals struggling for land rights in order to “stop the attempts at land-grab by the government.”

Deplorable, influential sections 'still believe' burning coal is essential indefinitely

By Shankar Sharma*  Some of the recent developments in the power sector, as some  recent news items show, should be of massive relevance/ interest to our policy makers in India. Assuming that our authorities are officially mandated/ committed to maintain a holistic approach to the overall welfare of all sections of our society, including the flora, fauna and general environment, these developments/ experiences from different parts of the globe should be clear pointers to the sustainable energy pathways for our people.