I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert on Indian media, art, cultural values, or cultural foundations, beyond knowing that “Indian” is far too general a category for serious analysis. Like many Americans, I’m familiar with what Bollywood is, and occasionally see headlines about the most high-level legal changes in the subcontinent. However, I can recognize general trends and the influence of the State on cultural growth, to an extent, because those are ideas mirrored in many other parts of the world.
To get context on culture within India, two things need to be acknowledged: Firstly, we need to recognize that the Indian subcontinent has a millennia-old, precolonial cultural history, spanning several eras of growth and contraction as various peoples and powers rose and fell. Secondly, we need to recognize that modern India is a distinctly post-colonial state. Arguably, the latter is more important to what we’re looking at here today – the changes in what’s considered “socially acceptable” on the part of both the citizens and State of India.
Two headlines related to this have dominated international news at different points in the past few years. Earlier among the two was the decriminalization of homosexual acts by the Supreme Court. While less is known about the status of homosexuality and other sexual traits broadly considered “nonstandard” by European cultures in ancient Indian history, it’s notable that several important texts such as the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana – as well as the famous Kamasutra – include sections that discuss cross-gender behavior and homosexuality, respectively. The laws regarding the criminal status of homosexuality in India, on the other hand, were colonial conceptions, coming into effect during the rule of the British Raj and, therefore, during the forceful imposition of British cultural values on the subcontinent. It can be argued, therefore, that not only does the ruling of the Court cater to progressives, but it stands as an action of decolonization by India, as it firmly rejects the cultural reshaping and repression of the colonial era.
However, the status of homosexuality in India is still in turmoil, as activists have failed to capture the attention of large segments of the population, with the traditional heterosexual family still being viewed as the only valid familial structure. Additionally, the ministers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been noted on record as viewing homosexuality as “unnatural”, or as one Dr. Subramaniyam Swamiji put it, “…a genetic flaw celebrated”. While the sexuality is slowly gaining acceptance – thanks in large part to one or two major, metropolitan activist groups – it will continue to be a struggle, especially as long as the BJP remains in power, allowed to frame legislation and guide the national discussion on key issues such as this.
The second headline, a much more contemporary issue, will be addressed in a second post soon following this one.