Am I included in We the People?

For years, the LGBTQI have been victims of bullying, blackmailing, torture, abuse, violence, stigma and so on; when will our sect see the dawn of a new era, asks Mohnish Malhotra

We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; in our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.

I quote the preamble to the Constitution of India, feeling nostalgic as we celebrate the 75th Independence Day. I am pondering upon the concept of Independence and does it bring freedom to every citizen, even us, the members of the LGBTQIA community? Many of us are still waiting to be recognised as equal citizens in our homeland. For years we have been the victims of bullying, blackmailing, torture, abuse, violence, stigma and so on; when will our sect see the dawn of a new era? A common notion that still exists is, transgender and LGB folks are thick-skinned sexual deviants but is that really true?

In 2018, Naveen Das, an Aam Aadmi Party worker in New Delhi, who I knew, was attacked and burnt alive in his own car by an imposter who pretended to be his lover after he denied extortion. Dr R Siras of Aligarh Muslim University was filmed sharing intimate moments with a man within his quarters’ privacy that led to his job suspension. After a nationwide protest that reinstated his job, he was found dead before he was supposed to resume his position. And this week, I learned about another friend, whose identity I cannot reveal, who committed suicide after being tortured by his family for being gay. I have personally faced police detentions, arrests, violence, extortion, and abuse over the years for things that would be termed as normal if I was a heterosexual person. Being openly gay still has its challenges in India, ranging from forced marriages to suicides despite the Supreme Court ruling in 2018.

For the past two years, I have made a conscious choice to be away from India as much as I can as it is beginning to get tiring while waiting for things to change. The time has come for the government to recognise this shortcoming and start implementing fast-track policies for the social, economic, and mental uplifting and empowering of our community. They must guarantee the right to marry, adoption, and basic safety for all citizens now. We cannot afford to lose more lives to violence and suicide. How many more lives must be sacrificed before the wheel turns again?

(The author is an activist and life coach.)