Last June 26th I was standing on the Broadway sidewalk. In front of us was a large procession. The name of the procession is ‘Pride Rally’. The procession included men and women, transgenders and trans-believers. There were one milk and two milk attractors. It’s a LGBTQ parade.
Society heaped shame on milkmaids. These are the ones who put it off and stand tall. American society has also acquired that understanding. They showed the progressive face of America.
A few other banners in the same parade showed another face of America. They read: ‘Abortion is my political right’, ‘A woman’s body is a woman’s choice’, ‘Don’t force your opinion into our stomachs’ – all pro-abortion slogans.
On June 24, the Supreme Court struck down that right. Henceforth, provincial governments have to enact abortion laws for their respective provinces. That was the case 50 years ago. Under this ruling, half of US state governments may ban abortion.
Prior to 1973, women seeking abortions had two options if they were from and could afford abortion-prohibited provinces. Traveling to provinces where abortion is permitted or illegally obtaining an abortion at a local doctor’s office while still being safe.
Poor women also had two options. Giving birth to an unwanted child or having an unsafe abortion. Black women and teenage girls are the most affected. These tragedies will begin again. It will be worse than the past.
Abortion was not a political issue 50 years ago. It was a social issue. At the time, significant numbers in both major parties in America supported abortion. But now, like many other issues, America is divided along party lines.
Democrats say a woman should have the right to terminate her pregnancy. Republicans support a Supreme Court ruling that hands that decision over to state legislators.
Waiver of rights?
On the one hand, the milkmaids celebrate that they will stand free. Fundamentalists, on the other hand, have their arms stretched up to women’s wombs. Next, there is the fear that they will touch the newborns.
Fundamentalist voices are not new to America. But now it is ringing with the support of a major political party. It also has the power to divide the nation into two parts.
Against this backdrop, America’s intellectual community has a duty to defeat fundamentalism. In this American story, there is a lesson for India too. Abortion has been legalized in our country since 1971.
In 2018, the law allowed for same-sex marriage, and in 2019, for a person to register as a third gender. Scholars and government should continue to take the message of ‘for all living beings’ to the general society. We must not give up abortion rights and infant rights that have become possible after an age-long wait.
> This, Engineer M. Ramanathan Excerpt from Hindu Tamil Vektik Premium Article. Read useful premium articles daily > Premium Articles
> Read Premium Articles & E-Paper – Digital Subscription Plans