Musical Maladies: “Aadmi hu aadmi se pyaar karta hu”
Written by Hitaishi Thakkar, Terna Medical College, Medical student and blogger.
On a bright Sunday afternoon. I was out and about running some errands with my parents in their car while listening to their retro Bollywood playlist.
The one great thing about old Hindi melodies is their lyrics : pure, unfiltered, family friendly and heart touching. The words of love just make you smile and reach your soul.
All the songs were great, but one particular song caught my attention, the song goes like
“Bas yehi apradh main
Har baar karta hoon
Aadmi hoon
Aadmi se pyaar karta hoon”
(That’s the only crime/Do it every time/I am a man|human/who loves a man|human)
Aadmi hu aadmi se pyaar karta hu, the simple wording provokes a deep thought, is this song about gay rights & feelings? Men love men too but why is it considered to be such a taboo in society?
Lately there has been a lot of discussion and debate about the LGBTQ community, laws and their rights. A new wave of gender pronouns along with fresh thoughts about gender and sexuality have awoken. Amidst this, I often hear people saying, ‘it’s just a phase’, ‘In our times we never had people say this’.
Many people think that gender pronouns and sexuality is a newer concept but we have found evidence of the LGBTQ community in our holy scriptures. Even in the mythology of Mahabharata, shikhandi is a representation of the LGBTQ community. Our Hindu deities have gender variations and possess gender fluidity. Lord Vishnu takes the form of Mohini, to enchant the demons to give up the elixir of life (Amrita),lord Shiva later on gets attracted to Mohini proving the gender fluidity.
They have longer hair, along with ornaments and are dressed up with their own beauty, truly breaking all gender barriers. Numerous deities have been considered patrons of third-sex or homoerotically-inclined people. This patronage can originate in epical stories about the deity, or from religious practices and rituals.
Although there is very little direct mention of the modern concepts of homosexuality, the terms do exist in Sanskrit literature to suggest the LGBTQ in ancient Hindu religion.
This doesn’t just exist in Hindu religion but has been a controversy in certain classic paintings as well. Some historians believe that the prettiest woman of all time – Mona Lisa may in fact be transgender, but all these are just mere speculations.
Were our ancestors more accepting of gender norms than we think?
That leads us to the main question, why does modern society create gender roles and gender barriers? Why can’t we just let love be love?
We tend to forget that transgender people are humans too. They suffer because of being shunned in the society, get called out and bullied and are refused employment because of their sexual orientation.
We truly owe the LGBTQ community an apology for the ostracization and persecution they have faced because of the society’s ignorance.
Essentially, being transgender is just like being left handed, most people aren’t, but some people are and no one really knows why!
The modern society is finally recognising the LGBTQ community and we are here for it! But there’s still a long way to go! Society might be okay with the thought of trans people but they are ashamed when their sons and daughters do so. This needs to be revolutionized. There are alot of places where Gay marriage is not legal and LGBTQ rights are refused.
Being yourself is never a wrong thing to do. And I hope more and more people understand this narrative that it’s not a shame but a true PRIDE.
Instead of hiding behind black and white colors just be your own rainbow!
And my appeal to all readers, you don’t have to be gay to be a supporter- just be a human!
Bus yahi khata
Tum karte ho
Aadmi ko aadmi se pyaar
Nai karne dete ho
