What Would Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) Have Done

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Tushar Gandhi imagines what the Mahatma's reaction would have been to the conflicts that continue to sear the country

India today has become a bubbling cauldron of conflicts– economic, communal, caste based and gender specific. What would Bapu have done if he was living in India today? For the last fortnight India has been on the edge, the Babri Masjid judgment is awaited and dreaded. What would Bapu have done about the Babri Masjid issue?

Economic disparity in our country has become institutionalised. Our economic progress is no longer calculated on the basis of how many Indians eat two square meals a day, it is based on the speculative and manipulated Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex. This story repeats itself in the interior states where a fancy term– ‘Red Corridor’– is coined to explain away the growth and expansion of the anarchist influence of the Marxist-Maoist brigades. What would Bapu have done in the Red Corridor?

In Kashmir which has endured cyclic and frequent flare ups, the unholy mess has become a big opportunity for profiteering for all forces involved. Honestly, no one cares for a resolution. The poor Kashmiri suffers but no one is bothered about their suffering. When, however misguided they may be, Kashmiri youth vent their frustration and anger by pelting stones, the Indian paramilitary and military forces open fire on them and always fire to kill. How are they then to believe that they are Indians? What would Bapu have done if he was living in Kashmir? Bapu believed in non-violence but he believed more in truth. In all the conflicts enumerated above, one has to first discover the truth– not the truth espoused by the adversaries, but the absolute, everlasting and dispassionate truth! Only then will non-violence become effective.

Yes I am certain that if Bapu was faced with the conflicts of this world or the conflicts afflicting his beloved motherland he would have dealt with them with the twin weapons of truth and non-violence. His would have been a lasting solution, not a remedy good enough only till the next bout of conflict erupted and consumed humanity.

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Professor Tom Lodge discusses Mandela's role in leading South Africa to democracy and in helping to build an inclusive nation

The Mandela government succeeded in reforming public finance, widening the scope of welfare programmes, and encouraging economic revival. The key to South Africa’s democratic transition was Mandela’s ability to convince the white South Africans that he and his followers acknowledged them as fellow citizens. He was helped by the ANC’s long history of "multi-racial" alliances and its inclusion of whites in its own ranks. Even with this background, he had to work hard to build trust across old historical divisions. He had to win over his own side too, for white South Africans needed to be induced into democracy through the promise of coalition government and legal protections for their property– compromises that were very unpopular amongst ANC rank and file. Here Mandela’s consensual style of leadership was indispensable. During a lengthy period of negotiations the ANC itself underwent important transformations as previous hardliners under Mandela’s influence became pragmatists. Mandela’s own personal stature was also critical in winning external support for the ANC so that after 1994 the new government enjoyed widespread international admiration. Most important of all, in governing South Africa, Mandela projected warmth and compassion, reducing his former adversaries, as one commentary noted, to a state of "charismatic bewilderment".

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Whoever said man is an animal wasn't too far off the mark

As if eating them, and using them as beasts of burden wasn't enough, animals have also to put up with the sexual debauchery of some. Spriha Srivastava, on what constitutes bestiality'

Not too long ago, a farm near Enumclaw in Washington was frequented by many, looking to take their pick of animals. Except, the animals were not chosen with an intention to domesticate or keep as pets; they were picked to be used as sex objects! The farm was an animal brothel where people would pay to have sex with non-human species, until 2005 when a man lost his life on being sodomized by a horse. The death of a human led the State of Washington to make bestiality illegal. One is, however, left to wonder what zoophilia, or sex with animals, does to the animal in question.

Depiction of sexual intercourse with animals can be seen in the sculptures of Khajuraho temples and also find mention in certain ancient scriptures as well, which, some say, are proofs of zoophilia being common practice in those days. Does that make it acceptable? Let it be known that zoophilia is an offence (considered unnatural sex punishable under section 377 of IPC) because it has the same implications as that of sexual assault on fellow humans.

The 26th National Conference of Sexology, recently held in Chennai, tackled the issue of bestiality which is rare in India, though sporadic cases aren't uncommon. Almost a year back, a Mumbai-based taxi driver was charged under section 377 and was slapped with Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act for having sexual intercourse with a female stray dog. The Conference brought forth other similar incidents including young boys in rural south India having sex with buffaloes, men seeking sex of stallions, and women tutoring dogs for intercourse. Dr Narayan Reddy, Consultant ' Sexual Medicine, and Chairperson of Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International, elaborated on this issue. 'Research is still being done which makes it difficult to mention the exact cause for bestiality, but a person's upbringing and the environment around him is the cause of such practices. People who lived in farms surrounded by animals found sex with animals a way for sexual release.' He mentioned a case that was brought to him where a man could not have sex with his wife because he'd spent his life with animals in the village and only sexual intercourse with animals stimulated him. He'd tried intercourse with buffaloes and that alone gave him pleasure. 'The atmosphere that one lives in plays a major role in shaping such an orientation and can eventually end up becoming serious medical cases, like that of this man,' mentioned Dr Reddy. Bestiality, being rare, hasn't allowed much experiment with its treatment either. Dr Reddy explained that interspecies sex can't lead to reproduction. It's only sexual satisfaction that one's looking for in such cases. 'It's a psychological disorder and the person, firstly, has to be willing to undergo the treatment. Then, he has to be put on medicines and psychotherapy, and it often takes years to be treated. Such cases are similar to that of paedophilia. Paedophiles are sexually attracted to children and zoophiles are sexually attracted to animals,' he said.

Indeed, zoophilia can be found to be as condemnable as sex with minors, or say, violating a mentally challenged person. For in all these cases, the subject is least in a position to protest and/or demand justice. 'When animals are forced to behave how they would not naturally, it is done through physical force causing the animal immense pain, bewilderment and distress,' says Poorva Joshipura, Chief Functionary, PETA India. 'Animal abusers are cowards who take their frustration out on the most defenceless beings available to them. Because animals cannot tell anyone what happened, they become victims of heinous acts of abuse. People who engage in bestiality or any form of cruelty to animals need immediate psychiatric counselling or jail,' she reiterated. Besides the aforementioned psychological problems and issues of animal abuse, sex with animals also has health hazards attached to it. A person is likely to develop infections even on casual contact with animals, but zoonoses (infections transmitted from animals to humans) like Malta fever, leptospirosis or Weil's disease, toxocariasis and Q fever are readily contracted on contact with semen, vaginal fluids, blood, saliva, faeces or urine of animals.

For the sake of argument, one could point out that dogs at times display overzealous antics like clambering on to our legs, or can be seen 'doing it' to the pillow, but is that a sign of consent for the act? No, just like a minor's 'consent' is invalid. Besides, being sexually attracted to another specie is the highest form of heinous hedonism that there was. What would you say of a person who gratifies his sexual needs by imposing his dominance over an animal, just because it's an easy and available option? Such a person is capable of inflicting the same cruelty on, perhaps, people weaker than him. Dr Narayan Reddy agrees that people with such a psychological orientation have higher likelihood of turning into rapists and killers.

Sex in human society is, theoretically at least, the culmination of physical and emotional closeness (yes, gay sex too), apart from being intended as a tool for procreation. Bestiality debases it, and makes it, well, animal'

The article is sourced from The Sunday Indian.

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Society is changing fast and so are sex norms, the effects will be telling and drastic

Satya Mitra Dubey
Senior sociologist and socio-political analyst

The relationship between a man and a woman is the foundation of the family and the society. Sex and love are the major binding factors behind human relationships. In different historical, social and cultural contexts, the human genius has tried to evolve codes and institutions to regulate sexual behaviour. Among the codes, the important methods are customs, traditions, mores, religious prescriptions and law. Among the institutions, the most significant are marriage, family, community and state.

In the light of academic discussion, according to classical Marxism, sex regulations through family and marriage are related to property relationship. In Freud's psychoanalysis, libido is the potent driving force behind human actions and creativity. The idea of sin associated with sex is the outcome of the growing ideological impact of organised religions. Most tribal communities across the world do not have a sense of guilt towards sex unless they have come in contact with the big religions. In traditional Indian society, there was equal emphasis on Dharma, Artha, Kama and Mokshha. The Indian sage, Vatsayan, wrote Kamasutra. In several Hindu temples, vivid sex scenes are depicted with reverence. But a clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy sex has to be kept in mind.

Sociologists, while considering issues about sex, do not only consider the biological aspect. In sociological perspective, there are four aspects of sex: biological sex related to love making, getting sexual gratification, pregnancy, birth, procreation; gender division related to the male and the female; gender ideals related to dress, make-up, behavioural patterns for the male and the female; and finally, sex roles such as raising children, cooking and housekeeping for women and working, earning and supporting the family for male in a male-dominated society.

There has been a tremendous change in all the four areas of sex relationship over the last two centuries. The process of industrialisation, urbanisation, large-scale migration, education, liberal political ideology and medical research, brought about a change in perceptions of sex and relationship in the western society. At that stage, the hold of traditions and religion was still strong. So, sexual freedom was still looked down upon, it was considered as permissiveness in spite of the fact that the ratio of women in factories and in the job market was gradually increasing. Political radicalism, growing education among women, large scale death of male soldiers, destructions of material and normative roots during the two World Wars, growing influence of films in the first part of the 20th century transformed the nature of men-women relationships all over the world. But its maximum impact was felt in the western world. The rural, peasant and agricultural societies of Asia continued to cling to customs and religious beliefs where talks about sex were a taboo. The second part of the 20th century brought about radical transformation in the nature and perception of sexual relationships. The feminist movement, emancipation of women, concept of sexual freedom, change in job market, large scale urbanisation, declining hold of customs and religion, open availability of different types of contraceptives, sex toys, market forces and globalisation have accelerated the process of sexual freedom. Sexual freedom is visible in the form of open sexuality, live-in relationships, one night stands, call girl rackets, increased pre-marital and post-marital permissiveness in sexual relationships, increasing rate of divorces and abortions. Even in the relatively conservative societies of Asia, particularly India and China, there are clear trends of relaxation of the sex norms. Several surveys indicate that 65 to 70 per cent teenagers in these two countries are found to be sexually active and have had experience of pre-marital sex. Live-in relationships are common in metros and now they are legally approved. The same is the case with homosexuality and lesbianism. There has been a manifold increase in cases of teenage pregnancies, abortions and divorce cases.

Society is changing fast and so are sex norms. They are affecting the structure and functioning of the society. Alarming cracks are visible in the institutions of marriage. As a result, a large number of educated, well-placed young men and women prefer to remain single. The romantic, idealistic concept of love is turning into mundane, unstable, mechanical sex relationship. The act of sex has become so open that it is leading to aversion and frigidity. Family bonds have weakened. Millions of poor rural migrants in the growing economies of India and China live a life of isolation from their wife, children and family in the slums of Delhi-Mumbai and Beijing-Shanghai. They are visiting red light areas and having promiscuous relations. This is leading to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. Social planners and sociologists need to pick their brains as to how to create a healthy society with a healthy approach towards sexuality.

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