Thursday, February 18, 2010

On Perversity

Came across this rather unfortunate news item.

I am disappointed that I live in a country that has a perverse notion of perversity. It seems trespassing is not a crime, invasion of privacy is not a crime, photographing/videographing someone's intimate moments without his/her consent is not a crime, distributing intimate clips of another human being is not a crime, suspending someone without a reason is not a crime, pejoratively identifying another human being as a "rickshaw-puller" as if that has any bearing on the matter is not considered reprehensible, a so-called newspaper not trying to anonymize the identity of a gay person who is sure to be ostracized and worse is considered acceptable, that an institute of "repute" does not know the difference between a crime, "gross misconduct", a scandal, and a consensual act is fine, a teachers' union not commenting upon the victimization of a colleague is not a shocking act, and so on and so forth.

However, an adult human being enjoying himself with with another adult human being with his/her consent is considered perverse, reprehensible, scandalous, worthy of punitive action, and so on and so forth.

Shame on you, AMU. And shame on you, ToI. And shame on you, the fucking "local TV channel" which had the criminal audacity to barge into someone's home because "the door was open" and videograph him. May you all realize the nature of your perversity, and leave normal human beings alone.

6 comments:

amruta said...

I am disappointed too. I think the 'reporters' must be sent behind the bars first- who the hell do they think they are?. News/TV channels are desparate to create news and the ease of videography has led to such possibilities. Shame on AMU to have even considered such a video for taking action.

Amit said...

Dr. Siras has been wronged -- if there's a way to reach him, I'd like him to know that there are many out there who disagree with AMU's theological fanaticism.
Consensual action between two human beings is a private affair -- Mr. VC @ AMU what's so difficult to understand about this ?

Great post Harman.

-Amit

Anonymous said...

ha! lip service of support means nothing...you have no idea how can the state ( university) arm twist a person...besides who will protect Prof. Siras if fundamentalist lay seize of his house....disagreement with AMU amounts to nothing. No body will support the poor chap...no one spoke when Sabbarwal was killed, silence prevailed when Shivaji was hounded out of Baroda.... no one speaks even when things happen in their own city.... he took the right decision to save his life and recognizing that it is futile to have a sensible discussion with people who are sold to nonsense.

Ketan said...

Unfortunate. I had exactly the same thoughts as you on reading the news.

Likewise, I was appalled to see that none of the people responsible for convincing/coercing three women to have sex and being captured on camera in N.D. Tiwari's case were charged! Or at least the media did not bring it to our notice. Also, I was surprised to not hear voices of feminists in opposing the whole Tiwari-thing!

Anonymous said...

Perversity, Freedom and a respect for an Individual and his "self" - amazing emergent phenomenon, aren't they?

Darshan Chande said...

I am not aware of this issue in the least. But I am moved by this write up. Very true, effective and impacting!