Hyderabad: Gay writers are scared of coming out in the open as they are afraid of section 377, stated poet R. Raj Rao in a panel discussion on “Gay Writing” at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2016.
Even putting up their poem or thoughts on Facebook or other social media scares them as that too is taboo under Section 377 and cases can be booked against them. Hence such discussions are confined mostly to college campuses, literary festivals and debates in university fora where the rights and ability of homosexuals to lead a peaceful life are stressed, they said.
While reciting poems at the festival, puns drew heavy applause. Poet Akhil Katyal took digs at Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and the audience had a hearty laugh. Says Katyal, “I can do this only in sessions where the people are well-informed and will take it in the right spirit.” So far, he has not been threatened, he added.
Poet R. Raj Rao explained, “There is a lot of self-censorship by gay writers. We are scared of uploading our poems on social media or expressing ourselves in forums where people are not very open. Of all languages out here, English is the safest to air such themes. So far, no one took any objection after I uploaded my poems on social media,” he said and quoted historian Ramchandra Guha as saying, “If you write in English, you are safe.”
At the same time, moving out in the open, holding each other’s hand, too scares writers. Rao says, “We fear that some day the police will break into our bedrooms to check who is having sex with whom, and impose section 377. The government must consider the bill to decriminalise gay sex. The situation is very threatening.” Poets narrated their experiences in cinema theatres, gardens and other public places where they are hounded. Senior gay writer Hoshang Merchant said, “In Pune, in a discussion session, one of our friends spoke against the government and against its stand towards homosexuality. He is being hounded and we find it very disturbing.”
Hoodbhoy says Pak will be secular in future
Pakistan will be a secular state in future. New technology and the powers of globalisation will force it to be one despite the pressure from the Maulanas to make it an Islamic state, said nuclear physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy at the Hyderabad Literary Festival.
“Dividing the nation on the basis of religion has not proven to be a successful experiment. East and West Pakistan could not stay together. Pakistan was conceived to be a secular state as its founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah was a secular leader and he wanted to shape his nation on the lines of the European countries. Now, with new access to technology, internet, smart phones etc, backed also by pressure of globalisation, Pakistan has no way other than go secular,” he said. He said the various studies carried out over decades of the plight of displaced people showed the idea of Pakistan was born in confusion. If they wanted an Islamic state, the elite did not know how and what it would be like. “There is no term as state in the Koran. What is there is the sharia, but implementing that for an Islamic state will leave no space for the other sects like Shias, Ismailis, Bohras etc,” Hoodboy said.
Author Venkat Dhulipala disagreed with the view that Pakistan was born in a confused state. “It was a very well-thought-out decision by the elite but it took the people by surprise,” he said.
Hoodbhoy stated that more than a decade ago, Karachi was like Mumbai and Lahore like Delhi. The degradation began during the time of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The civil society in Pakistan was against the present scenario and wanted their normal life back. It might be less colourful, less open than India but still people shared the same emotions as they were hooked on to Bollywood movies and Indian television serials, he said.
Sehgal roots for translations
Author Nayantara Sehgal has stressed on the need for having more translations of literature from regional languages to English. Speaking at the Hyderabad Literary Festival on Saturday, she said regional language literature contained a treasure trove. She was asked how some of her works attracted criticism that they have an overdoze of politics and that her characters are not properly developed.
Her experiences and her own self reflected in her books. When asked how did she take a bold decision to make public the letters between her and a civil servant, E.N. Mangat Rai, in her book “Relationships: Extracts from a Correspondence”, she said it was published many years after the correspondence took place. Delving into politics, she said BJP wanted to make India a Hindu Pakistan. The Congress party favoured dynastic succession, which was wrong and it has brought about the downfall of party.
