The Delhi high court on Monday declared that premarital sex is “immoral” and “against the tenets of every religion”. This has sparked a debate among activists, religious leaders and the city’s youth.
Ashutosh Nadkarni, a second-year BMM student from Maharshi Dayanand College in Parel, said, “Whatever I do on my private property in my private time is not supposed to be the public or government’s concern. At this point, the government should concentrate on other major problems.
The government should rather educate the students by providing sex education in schools.”
Sociologists feel that the definition of morality is subjective and has nothing to do with public recognition. “Sex for me is a personal and private affair. In the mythologies of different religions, there are obvious instances of premarital sex. It’s shocking and upsetting that the government is making such statements in the 21st century. They have let the country down,” said Nandini Sardesai, a city-based sociologist and activist.
However, religious leaders have welcomed the high court’s ruling. Maulana Mustaquim of Jamiyat-e-Ulma Hind told dna, “In this world, no religion endorses sex before marriage. India is a spiritual and religious country. We follow all our traditions and do not look at gaining sexual pleasure before marriage. Some people indulge in shameful things such as premarital sex. This is against our religion and a sin.”
Catholic religious leaders believe indulging in premarital sex is misuse of sexuality. “Misuse of sexuality, especially without any marital commitment between a couple, is not a human act. By way of any spiritual path of progress, it is considered an animal act. It is not a rational decision,” said Father Joe Pereira, managing trustee at Kripa Foundation in Mahim.
(with inputs from Shekhar Pundir)
‘Definition of morality subjective’
Sociologists feel that the definition of morality is subjective and has nothing to do with public recognition. “It’s shocking and upsetting that the government is making such statements in the 21st century,” said Nandini Sardesai, a city-based sociologist and activist.
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