In Light of the SRK Incident

Alrighty then, SRK was detained at the airport in the USA for a while. So what? Yes, that's exactly my question. So what? My apologies to any die hard SRK fans, but I never cared much for him anyway, but that's besides the point. Over the last few days, a lot has been said about this incident. I have heard reactions similar to mine, like "So what?" all the way to, "How dare they". Here's my few cents on this nonsense issue.

Whether this is a publicity stunt synchronised to perfect timing of his new release "My Name is Khan" or not, I don't know, don't care. What baffles me is how the heck do we expect an emigration officer to know who SRK is. I am pretty sure he wouldn't even be able to locate India on a map, leave alone know SRK. Well, assume that he did know him. What entitles SRK to escape any security check? Ok, so it could be his name KHAN. Again so what? The Americans have more than enough reason to be weary of Khan and Abdul and every other Mohammad. Call them paranoid or psychotic or whatever, but also remember that there has not been another attack from an outside source since 9/11. We on the other hand, keep getting pounded.

I have been detained at the airport in Indianapolis for close to two hours, for whatever reason. I was NOT offended and I let them do their job without complaining. So what makes SRK different from me? Well, yea, he is a celebrity and I am not (yet). Ok, so most people in India know him, but who the heck knows and cares, in the USA? Why should they? If a very random man lands in Mumbai and at the emigration counter says that he is a very famous Hollywood actor, would we just let him bypass the checks that the others are subject to? Oh well, coming to think of it, we just might. Our pot bellied, greedy officers might even drool after him for a photograph and an autograph. That's where we are different from them in the west. They have learnt from at least few of their mistakes. We have learnt nothing.

After 9/11, every single airport in the USA have adopted different security measures, which keeps on developing. These checks and methods are still in existence and like I said, there has not been another attack from outside. Touch wood. Here, first bombs rip through commuter trains, on the roads and everywhere else. The Taj and CST get attacked and yet, there are absolutely zero security measures in most of the railway stations I have visited. I frequent central station in Chennai. I have never been checked or frisked even once. There is one x-ray machine for the millions of people who travel, and it is not functional. Forget the station, even recently when I flew to Pune for some official work, I carried just a small carry on bag, that had a lighter, match box, razor, scissors and toothpaste. As far as I know, all these items are banned onboard a plane. So where is the security. Don't tell me that the x-ray machine at the airport could not detect my scissors? We just care less. That's it. In place of me, it could have very well been someone else, with the wrong intentions. We however don't miss a chance to raise our voice and make a big deal when someone as insignificant as SRK is put through some extra security check.

Either ways, SRK made it to American soil and even made a few million bucks, showing his hairless face and dancing and what not, on Independence day. He even managed to say, "I don't feel like stepping on American soil anymore, but it is the love and affection of my fans that will make me come back." Aaaawwww. How thoughtful of him. At the end of the day, our system still has a lot of lapses, and we largely remain unsafe. I am not saying that the USA is a much safer country, but as far as external threat goes, YES, they are safer.

Things wont change over night and there probably is no one right solution. But a change will slowly begin when we learn to treat everyone equally, and put everyone through the same procedure, irrespective of who they are in society. No extra privilege or special treatment for any celebrity or politician. If I am asked to wait in a queue, they will do the same. If I am going to be frisked, they will too. But, are these just Utopian wishes? Probably.

Over The Rainbow

So finally article 377 has been flushed down the drain and of course, has received mixed responses from people here and there. I was quite amused by some of the responses I heard from people I am close to, mostly from my friends circle.

One person said that Indian has now become the Sodom and Gomorrah of the modern world. Of course, I look around and all I see are men riding each other. I dare not look again least I turn into a pillar of salt. Another friend of mine commented that all the gays should be put in a straight line and shot through their balls. Ouch. A pretty strong statement, coming from someone who has probably never even interacted with someone with a different sexual orientation.

Then I heard someone say that they were terribly disturbed by the court ruling. Alright, here comes a few sleepless nights and days of depression. No matter what the reaction was, the fact was that the high court ruling had absolutely zero relevance to their lives. Ok, your not gay, so why does it matter to you that a gay person has the same rights as you have? Would it make your life better if you shot them through their balls, even though they have in no way troubled you or affected your lifestyle? I have usually enjoyed having a healthy debate on this topic with some close friends, but when 377 came down, no one made a comment. At least, not to me. I can barely count three or four people I know who welcomed the change.

The misconception we all carry with us is that we believe that homosexuality is something one chooses to be. Yes, there are idiots who try it out for the sake of it or to be different, but in a much general sense, you can be gay due to various factors that are beyond your control. As of today, there is no concrete proof or theory that states that these are what makes a person gay. Research is still going on and there are various reasons that are beyond ones control that can make a person gay. If only people understood this, then they might understand another persons orientation better.

Genetically a person can be gay. If one the wrong mix of hormones and genes in his body, he will have a different orientation. Now is that his fault or was that even his choice? Now even if your hormones and genes are alright, your early childhood environment and upbringing can shape your orientation. A little girl child who has a terribly abusive father will develop a distrust towards males and if she has been over protected by her mother, when she grows up she might never be able to receive love from a man. Even when she looks for a partner, she will only be able to trust and connect with a women. I don't mean to say that every abused girl turns out like this, but it is a possibility.

It can work the same way with a boy too. It is also possible that if a boy has been over protected by his mother and has an absent father, he will pick up few feminine traits from his mother. With the over protection and too much attention, he will soon begin to act and behave like the people he has interacted with, in his case, his mother. These interactions will shape his character as he grows up. Was this his fault? Was this something he chose to be?

With the amendment of 377, what we need to understand is that this is NOT about giving people the green signal to have sex with the same kind. This is hardly about sex. This is about giving them equal rights as you and me. This is about treating another human being the same way you would like to be treated. Previously if a homosexual had some disease that needed treatment, he could not approach a doctor due to the fear that his orientation would be reported and he could be arrested. His basic right to proper health was violated.

No matter what your orientation, you should have the right to proper health care and education. You cannot be denied a job or thrown out of an institute because your orientation is different. This is what 377 is all about. So for all those of you who feel disturbed and want to shoot through the balls, you should know that this in no way affects you. If you discriminate someone for their orientation, then how different are you from some racist who discriminate based on color or caste? You do not have to love a persons way of life or his orientation, but the least you can do is to respect him as a human being and not deprive him of his basic rights that you very much enjoy.