Live-in relationships

Thankfully, the Supreme Court has cleared the air by its observations on pre-marital sex and live-in relationships in a candid manner. Now actress Khusboo must be a relieved person and her tormentors stand exposed as prudes and puritans. Our perceptions of sexual morality are constantly changing. Moreover, moral rules cannot be applied universally. Today, things are best left to the individuals who should be free to make moral choices. At the most, they can be told to use the choices for good.

The risks of infection and unwanted pregnancy and feelings of shame and guilt should constrain the exercise of free will.

G. David Milton,

Maruthancode

Live-in relationships are in vogue in our tribal communities. But there is a time-limit for such experiments. Eventually, the man and woman concerned are persuaded to marry. At present, even arranged and love marriages break up for various reasons. Couples do not hesitate to rush to the court at the drop of a hat. Live-in relationships go according to the dictum, “Trust, but verify.”

B.R. Kumar,

Chennai

The observations of the Supreme Court on Khusboo's petition are laudable and remarkably progressive. Sex cannot be perceived through religious and cultural angles and those who apply the moral paint on it are thoroughly ignorant of the realities of human life. If a man/woman indulges in pre-marital sex, do they become unworthy members of humanity? Morality is not a set of dry positives and drier negatives, but a multi-dimensional movement of man's rational evaluations of the practical realities. A purely biological urge cannot be subjected to moral tests. Sex is not an evil like smoking or drinking. Those who speak for women's reservation will be doing them a service if they hail the Supreme Court's views.

T.S. Pattabhi Raman,

Coimbatore

Is there adequate protection in law for those involved in such relationships in case of a break-up? Has our society matured enough to accept a single-mom? There are plenty of social and legal issues that have been overlooked. Pre-marital sex and live-in relationships have never been illegal. The court should have held that against the case and should not have stepped ahead to give legality to such relationships.

S. Balaji,

Chennai