Karnataka: Vasudhendra, challenging gay taboos in rural settings

Bengaluru: In Karnataka, Vasudhendra is almost a household name. The Kannada author has broken stereotypes not only with his work, but his personal stories as well. His latest book Mohanaswamy, published by Harper Collins India, received “decent” response, the author said. The book, in fact, received rave reviews and is being translated to Spanish and five other regional languages, apart from Kannada and Malayalam.

“I have sold more than 4,000 copies till now, which I consider as decent response, I feel. The gay theme being a taboo in Kannada, I am quite happy with the sales number,” he said.

He considers the fact that the story actually reached a rural audience a much better measure of the book’s performance. “English readers are much more familiar with the urban gay themed subjects, but the rural background of my book was unique for them. Many readers have messaged me saying that it is their story as well. I am happy that I could connect with the community and in that way the book has performed well,” he remarked.

Freedom for the LGBTQIA+ community is a long contested battle in the history of the country and there is a need to work on the inclusion of these communities in the in the rural areas, for which all parts of the society must come together, he said.

He also stressed on the need for a regional support system in rural parts, which are not homophobic. “The upper class English speaking urban community are in a much better position to understand their sexuality. A lot of material is available in internet. There are even dating apps in English. However the rural community which only speaks the regional language does not get any such opportunities, to read, explore and learn. Most of the regional print and digital media being homophobic creates panic and confusion, instead of information both in the LGBTQIA+ community and the society. Most of the NGOs continue to work conveniently only on the urban community. We really need a strong regional language support system in rural India.”

Sensitivity towards homosexuals could prevent a lot of social distress, he said. The answer is not marriage. “Most of the gay men get married off in rural India when a whiff of them being gay is out in the open. It is impossible for them to resist the social pressure. The bride undergoes severe depression post marriage. Society should understand the crime they are committing by forcing their kids into unwilling marriage situations. There is a critical need to educate the society on alternative sexuality. Their sexuality will not be automatically corrected after the marriage!” he exclaimed. The author will be speaking about Mohanaswamy at the 25th Lit Fest 2017 to be held this coming Sunday.  “I always enjoy mingling with younger creative minds. I frequently participate in Kannada creative writing workshops … and if anyone has questions related to sexuality, I will be more than happy to share my views,” said the Kannada Sahitya Academy winner.