The central government has been unable to take a bold stance on the issue of decriminalising gay sex (“Govt. leaves decision on Section 377 to the court,” July 12). With the Attorney General K.K. Venugopal recusing himself from appearing in the case, the government found itself on a weak wicket and decided to leave the decision entirely to the wisdom of the court. From the statements made by the honourable judges, it is clear that the court considers that consensual sex between same-sex adults cannot be deemed a criminal act. After its earlier judgment overturning a High Court decision that decriminalised gay sex, there seems to be a clear rethink on the part of the apex court.
C.V. Aravind,
Chennai
The Supreme Court’s observations come as a ray of hope and relief for the oppressed LGBTQ community in our country. People from this group have undergone suffering in multiple forms through sexual abuse, social ostracism and denial of justice. How can they even think about love or relationship when their very existence is considered criminal? They should get the same privilege as other individuals. Decriminalising homosexuality would be a significant step towards delegitimising an archaic idea that refuses to treat all citizens as equal.
Prince Krishnan,
Kollam
