‘Decriminalisation of Article 377 has done away with shame’

Divya Sharma
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 18

Classical artiste Navtej Johar, who is also an LGBT activist and one of the petitioners to challenge the criminalisation of Article 377, feels that the Supreme Court’s order regarding decriminalisation of the same has done away with the shame associated with the community.

The legendary dancer also gave a message to the community not to feel alone and shameful about their sexuality. “I will tell them that they are not alone. Society, in large, welcomes them. Of course, there are some who are close-minded. Right now, the lid has been taken off. It’s not secretive. It is not associated with shame anymore.”

Johar, as part of the two-day Syal festival also enthralled the audience with his dance performance late on Saturday night.

Talking about his performance, he said, “Most Carnatic music compositions are dedicated to a presiding deity of a specific temple. Katasraja: a Varnam, is based upon an existing composition in Raga Todi that addresses Siva as Tyagaraja, the renunciant deity of Tirvarur.”

“In this work, I called upon the Siva of Katasraj, a ninth century temple in Chakwal, Pakistan, that was abandoned in 1947. It was dancing and singing to this abandoned Siva of Chakwal, the region of my forefathers, in a mix of Telugu and the Saraiki dialect of West Punjab,” added the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award for contemporary choreography.

However, he is not a fan of reality dancing TV show and feels that one should only take up dancing and singing only if he or she is in love with the same. “I don’t have any take on it as I hardly watch them. One should only follow dancing if it’s his or her will.”