Rajasthan Female Teacher Elopes With Girl, Arrested

Being a queer person in India is equivalent to sin. There was a time when LGBTQA+ sexual relationships were considered 'unnatural sex' in Indian Constitution under IPC Section 377, which is decriminalised, but not much has changed in practice. Recently, three incidents of lesbian couples came to light, in which two asked for protection and one landed in jail. 

Rajasthan Female Teacher Arrested

In the latest case, a 20-year-old female teacher in Rajasthan's Bikaner eloped with her 17-year-old female student because they were in love with each other but were afraid of their families. The couple's escape sparked protests in Bikaner as the student's family alleged that this was a 'love jihad' case because the teacher was a Muslim while the student was Hindu. However, the two were traced in Chennai. The teacher and her two brothers were taken into 15 days of judicial custody. All were charged with the POCSO Act.

Understandably, the student was a minor. However, the minor student was not forced to elope with her teacher. The couple made a video and clarified that they eloped as they were aware of families not accepting them and did it willingly. If the girl had been an adult, the family would not have been able to force their will on her. This also further escalated due to protests in Bikaner allegedly supported by BJP volunteers in the city, who pressured police to take action against the teacher.

Unfortunately, public outrage is enough for the authorities to disregard the rights of the LGBTQA+ community. A group of people come together and protest that queer relationships are obscene, and leave a negative impact on youths. The authorities are ready to take judicial action against the queer couple without understanding the complexities of it. The authorities could have handled the matter without getting influenced by the mob. After examining the video and what the couple has to say, the police could have taken fair action, but it went into a hurried arrest. POCSO could end the teacher's career, but none thought of it. They completely disregarded their relationship and that it was a personal choice than coercion. 

The system lacks sensitivity. Earlier, the court, in one of the recent lesbian couple protection cases, ordered authorities to show sensitivity towards queer couples. The lesbian couple fearing for their lives filed a petition in Bombay HC. Maharashtra couple eloped for their safety, but authorities kept tracing them. The family also threatened one of the women with putting in jail. Family is threatening, the system is useless, and where should the couple seek help? Section 377 was kicked out of the Constitution, but the idea remains in the minds of people who are not ready to acknowledge the existence of the LGBTQA+ community as normal.

The court can protect LGBTQA+ couples, but they are constantly on the run to find a place where there is acceptance. 

Queer couples are eloping from their families, are mentally struggling, and are even ending their lives because society's stereotypes don't seem to end. They try to put up a strong front and tolerate humiliation, but how long will they survive in such hostile conditions? They fight their demons and confusions, struggle to accept their identity, fight their family, and then fight for respect in society for acceptance. 

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