Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Over 2,500 women associated with over 50 organisations protested against moves to legalise same-sex marriage at the collector’s office on Thursday. The agitated women handed over a memorandum addressed to the President of India, PM and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) demanding that the petition seeking permission for same-sex marriage be rejected.
The demonstration was made under aegis of Devi Ahilya Mahila Initiative for National Integrity (DAMINI), supported by over 50 different social organisations. The women were holding banners and placards bearing slogans and messages against same-sex marriage. They also shouted slogans.
Later, a memorandum was given to collector Ilayaraja by social worker Mala Singh Thakur, advocate Nidhi Wara, advocate Anushka Bhargava, social worker Monika Purohit, entrepreneur Priyanka Mokshmar, advocate Vinita Fai, educationist Reena Khurana, Rashida Shaikh, Zarina Khan, Pratiksha Iyer popularly known as Malvi Bhabhi, Saumya Upadhyay and Sangeeta Bharuka.
Suchitra Dubey, Coordinator of DAMINI, informed that through the memorandum, the society expressed its concerns over legalising same-sex marriage. Society believes that marriage is not a legal contract but also a ritual in all Asian countries. It is not a union of two bodies but it is an extension of two families. It is the family system of India, due to which Indian tradition and culture are alive even after hundreds of years of foreign rule. It is a conspiracy to destroy this ancient family system.
She said that respecting the constitutional power of the Supreme Court to interpret, we humbly say that recognition of same-sex marriage is a legal issue as well as a complex social issue. It is requested that only the Legislature should be allowed to decide on this complex issue through the people's representatives elected by the public. Recognition of same-sex marriage even at the social level will adversely affect our established family institution.
