Growing up in India, it’s almost inevitable for most people not to think about the day they get married. Some despise the idea, while others fall in love with it, hoping to spend their lives with someone they love. Unfortunately, in our country, getting married isn’t an option if you have a same-sex partner. While marrying someone of the opposite gender might be easy on paper, the battle for queer individuals to wed the person they love is far from over.

Conservatives around the world have always found it challenging to accept the idea of two men or two women falling in love with each other.

Sadly, it seems that the Indian government is also dancing to their tunes.

Recently, the Centre told the Supreme Court that same-sex marriages cannot be recognised under Indian law. This decision highlights the continued struggle of queer individuals in India, who are fighting for their basic right to love and marry whomever they choose.

The government’s stand is quite flawed and is far from being progressive. Shouldn’t love, empathy and acceptance be a few qualities that a compassionate state must possess?

“Living together as partners and having a sexual relationship by same-sex individuals is not comparable with the Indian family unit concept of a husband, a wife and children,” the Centre said in its affidavit. But when two people fall in love and decide to get married, without causing hurt or harm to anyone in due process, why must the lawmakers have an issue?

Instead, they should take pride in a future society that they create, where individuals can be themselves and live a happy life, free from stigma and taboos.

All that the lawmakers must do is have an open mind and foster empathy towards people who live around them.