New Delhi, April 28
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, religious leaders from across north and south India and a host of private organisations on Friday upped the ante on legalisation of same sex marriages and urged the Supreme Court to leave the matter to Parliament’s wisdom.
Several private organisations, NGOs and Resident Welfare Associations today submitted memoranda expressing “distress at SC’s ongoing hearings in the matter” to district magistrates across the country.
In the national capital, religious leaders protested same sex marriages and urged the Supreme Court, currently hearing the matter, to take a step back.
“There is no urgency to decide the case on same sex marriages when the country is facing other grave challenges. We are deeply disturbed at the tearing hurry being shown by the apex court in the matter. We are sure the SC would let the Parliament decide the issue,” VHP leader Kapil Khanna said after the protest.
The VHP has passed a resolution against recognition of same sex marriages.
Speaking for religious leaders, Acharya Lokesh Muni said, “Same sex marriages have no place in Indian culture. Granting legal recognition to such relationships would be a mistake. The Indian Constitution gives everyone the right to live as they want.”
On memoranda submitted to DMs, Seema Singh, law professor at Delhi University, said marriage, in India, was a sacrament and not a contract.
“Any attempt to alter the centuries old definition of marriage could adversely impact Indian society. The institution of marriage has evolved over ages and any attempt to modify its structure would disturb the family, the basic unit of the nation state,” Singh said.
She said a public campaign is brewing on the issue ever since the SC began online hearings.
“People are aware of same sex relationships. Rest of the concerns can be addressed by the legislature?” said Singh, adding that SC judgment decriminalising same sex marriages, followed by the national legislation on transgender rights had resolved most concerns of persons in same sex relationships.
“We also want to know whether any studies have been commissioned to determine ground realities in societies that have legalised same sex marriages and whether such studies have been compared with India?” asked Singh.
The protesters are arguing that in India and Indian laws, marriage has only been conceived as a union between a biological man and a biological woman, and changes to this definition, if any, must be debated in the Parliament, which represents the will of the people.
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