Supreme Court has decided to reconsider its previous order on Section 377, and now a larger bench of judges will be looking into the constitutionality of the draconian law hampering the human rights.
And in this fight against decriminalising homosexuality, an effort by one parliamentarian deserves to be noted.
Shashi Tharoor has always been vocal when it comes to the rights of the LGBTQ community. Time and again he has tried to bring modifications to the archaic law.
In the recently concluded winter session of the Parliament, Tharoor once again grabbed the opportunity to bring a change in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He proposed amendments to the government’s bill to repeal 104 redundant laws.
This wasn’t the first time he tried to get Section 377 amended in the Parliament. Earlier too, he had moved a private member’s bill to repeal the entire Section, but it was defeated on the floor of the house. The parliament didn’t take up any discussion on the matter and the motion was defeated.
This was one change Mr. Tharoor had proposed that largely put the onus of criminality on ‘non-consensual sex’.
Although he has been unsuccessful in his efforts to amend Section 377 through legislative channels, he has often talked about the hypocrisy of Indian democracy with respect to the rights and freedom of the LGBT community.