Director Onir shared his reaction to the Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage and called it ‘extremely disappointing and unfortunate’.
Director Onir expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to tweak the Special Marriage Act (SMA) to legalise same-sex marriage. It further refused to strike down Section 4 of the law to allow a non-heterosexual couple to marry under the law. SC refused to grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages, saying it was up to Parliament to make laws to enable it.
While interacting with DNA India, Onir said, “I think it’s extremely disappointing because a lot of us were hoping that just like in 2018, the Supreme Court would take a progressive stand, which is about humanity, and not to left dangling on the vote bank-driven parliament.” Onir called the verdict ‘disturbing’ and asserted, “This is disturbing because, in the parliament, there is literally no representation of the (LGBTQI) community. And to be told that now it is up to the Parliament to decide whether a change in the regime of the Special Marriage Act is needed is a huge disappointment. I was really hoping that we, as the largest democracy (would) take a stand that is based on human rights, and not based on misinterpretation of religion, or tradition.”
Onir noticed how the government prosecutor’s statements were blatantly ignorant and called him ‘illiterate’. “‘Humara India alag hai, yeh bahar ka tradition hai’. These people are homophobic and illiterate. Even if our culture, history, and tradition did not accept it, I think this should not be the reason, because humanity comes before anything else. There is no reason why any human being should be treated less than another. One set of people is entitled to that, and it’s extremely unfortunate.”
Sharing his final words on the verdict, Onir added that it would be a fight for a lifetime. “Kitne logo ki zindagi beet gayi hoping for the equality, but yeh chalta rahega.” For the unversed, Onir’s 2005 film My Brother Nikhil was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with same-sex relationships.
(With inputs from ANI)
