Reacting to the Union government telling the Supreme Court that it would leave it to the wisdom of its judges to decide the constitutionality of Section 377 of IPC, Anjali Gopalan, founder and executive director of Naz Foundation Trust, said it was a huge step as the government’s stand was not clear earlier.
“At least the government stand is clear now, which should be helpful in doing away with Section 377. It seems like there is light at the end of the tunnel at last,” said Ms. Gopalan.
Equal rights activist Harrish Iyer said the Centre not taking a decision was not just a decision by itself, but also an admission. “The admission is that they do not have a heart or a spine to stand up for the right thing. Also, they know nothing about Indian culture or ethos,” Mr. Iyer said.
Lawyer Gautam Bhatia felt that since the government has declined to contest the case, the hearings have given the SC a rare chance to push the frontiers of equality and non-discrimination jurisprudence, which have been dormant for a few decades.