Goa Minister’s Remarks on Homosexuals Create Outrage Across India

Sports and Youth Affairs Minister of Goa Ramesh Tawadkar has said that the Goa government is planning to start centers that will cure the homosexuals of their abnormal propensities.

Mr Tawadkar said that treatment would be offered to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender to make them 'normal'. And since then, various social networks are abuzz with severe criticism of the minister. Many rightist minds are voicing their support to the man.

India's unwillingness to accept homosexuality is no top secret. In December 2013, the Supreme Court's decision of striking down a lower court's verdict that decriminalized homosexual act between consenting adults brought censure from various parts of the world. The Section 377 of the IPC awards 10-year jail term for homosexual activities.

Mr Tawadkar's statement is also being perceive as the incorporation of conservative India where all those activities are considered social taboos. "We will make LGBT (lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth normal. We will have a centre for them... like Alcoholics Anonymous centres. We will train them and give them medicines too," the minister said while discussing government's policy report on youth.

"As in the case of other target groups such as juvenile offenders, drug afflicted youth, marginalised or migrant youth, geographically disadvantaged youth, a detailed survey would be carried out of the LGBT community so that their problems could be specifically addressed."

Twitter is abuzz with criticism: 

Homosexuality a Natural Gift' - #Goa Chief Minister's #Respect
— IVIMMXIII (@royanand15) January 13, 2015

So a #Goa minister wants to cure the #LGBT community. Does he head the Ministry of Morons?
— Jayadev (@NotJDSalinger) January 13, 2015

The #LGBTCommunity has so far been very generous towards #Goa #Minister #RameshTalwadker for his #GayCure statement. #Media is not happy.
— Ani Borkar (@GravitasVeritas) January 13, 2015

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Government Of India Scraps Section 309 Of The IPC: Attempt To Suicide Is No criminal Offence Anymore

The government of India has decided to scrap the section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Doing this will decriminalize any attempt to commit suicide. The law says that any attempt to take one's own life is punishable with fine, or one year's rigorous imprisonment, or both.

The Indian government has taken this decision after 18 state governments and 4 union territories backed the recommendations of the Law commission of India; minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary informed the Rajya Sabha yesterday. Government sources say that a note regarding this amendment to the IPC has been sent to the relevant ministries namely Home, Law, and Health.

"Law Commission of India, in its 210th Report, had recommended that Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC needs to be effaced from the statute book. As law and order is a state subject, views of States/UTs were requested on the recommendations of the Law Commission. 18 states and 4 Union territory administrations have supported that Section 309 of the IPC may be deleted. Keeping in view the responses from the states/UTs, it has been decided to delete Section 309 of IPC from the statute book," said the MoS, answering a question. 

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