(Image source from: Vikram Seth for right to choose love})

Novelist and poet Vikram Seth, on Saturday while slamming recriminalization of gay sex by Supreme Court, stated that young people should have the right to choose the person they love. Not alowing a person to be himself/herself was intolerance and akin to violence with support from the society.

Seth was speaking at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, at a function organized by a TV channel to award 25 "living legends". The function was attended by President Pranab Mukherjee as well as Congress and BJP's senior leaders. In his speech, Seth without mentioning Section 377, gave his message to the youth, stating that a person has to be himself/herself as they cannot be anyone else. Life is short and one has to achieve everything within this time. The choices of life in profession, beliefs or the person one loves, has to be from the heart. It cannot be what others dictate, whether it's family, society or an unjust law.

Seth's statement gains significance as the BJP has openly supported SC's ruling on Section 377 and the Congress has come up in support of decriminalising gay sex and favoring repeal of Section 377 of IPC. Infact Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had expressed the SC verdict as 'disappointing.' Vikram Seth, has voiced his opinion since the Supreme Court verdict recriminalized gay sex, overturning the 2009 Delhi High Court decision on Section 377 (unnatural sex) that had decriminalized homosexuality.

(Picture Source: publishingperspectives.com)

(AW: Pratima Tigga)