The OED defines the word �morality� as �principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour�. Since there is not enough clarity on what �bad behaviour� means, I am afraid I might eminently qualify to be considered �immoral� and therefore this is not a sermon. I must confess my latest sin is watching porn, starring a young, dark, tall, handsome man named Rajasekharan alias Nithyananda.
The Nithyananda scandal has only confirmed my belief that repression of the primal urges in a normal healthy human being may lead to perversion or at least a complex mental condition, even if the person wears the robes of a holy man or a nun. A recent book by a former nun mentions about the painful case of an elderly nun who behaves like a girl in intense love whenever she meets a young priest, after she lost all her inhibitions due to a mental illness and geriatric issues. We too can not absolve ourselves from the dilemma faced by these people. We believe that a man or woman leading normal married life has less credibility to conduct a discourse on the holy books because we think an active sex life makes them impure. Therefore we prop up ordinary human beings as holy men and women and expect them to behave in a way which suits us, so that we can develop blind faith in them! We keep our eyes shut on the fact that most god men and women live a luxurious l! ife on the basis of our blind faith. We wake up to the reality only when such scandals come up. The question is do we really need them to reach out to God, whatever may be the differences in our concept of God? If pujas and rituals are essential to reach out to God, will there be any less effect if these are conducted by married people?
A leading news paper ran an article on its Bangalore edition on Women�s day in which it had asked the opinion of four unmarried female professionals on their views on premarital sex. All of them said it is an accepted norm but also gave a piece of advice that one has to be �careful, safe and discrete�! This sums up the double standard of the �progressive� society on this issue. Even in this liberal view, which is similar to that of the western civilizations, a person becomes morally accountable when there is a commitment to another person or a faith. The Tiger Woods issue bears testimony to this fact. How much �deviant� behaviour is acceptable from the expected �normal� behaviour should be left to the individuals and institutions. If a house in our neighbourhood is used as a brothel by its owner which is illegal, there is a law and order machinery to tackle that issue, ideally speaking.
Extremely rigid views on morality such as those propounded by Taliban and Muthalik are as harmful as liberal views on promiscuity. The author wrongly links the issue of morality with women�s emancipation. An educated woman in a modern society can not confine herself to the traditional roles and needs to travel often alone or in the company of male colleagues. It is the society�s responsibility to provide her security and comfort.
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-MKD, Bangalore,
