LGBTQIA plus community is part of society, but marriage should not be altered now: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the LGBTQIA+ community is an integral part of society but argued that the institution of marriage should not be altered at present. He suggested a separate legal framework for same-sex couples while stressing that social acceptance should precede legal change.

Mumbai: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said the LGBTQIA+ community is an integral part of society, but the institution of marriage should not be altered at present as it could lead to “unintended side-effects”, though there could be a separate legal framework for same-sex couples.

Replying to a question at a programme here about the RSS’s views on same-sex marriage, he maintained that “laws do not dictate society, society dictates the laws,” and the society must be prepared for a change first.

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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief was speaking at a gathering of around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha members at India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) event.

The Sangh has consistently maintained that LGBTQIA+ persons are “part of society to which we belong”, he said, adding, “In our society, there is a tradition of accommodating them.” In the Indian tradition, marriage is an institution created to build families which serve as the basic unit of society and nurture future generations, Bhagwat said.

“Our traditional ‘vivaha’ (marriage) is not merely a convenience for two people to live together. It is an institution through which family is created, and family is the unit of society where the next generation is trained,” he said.

“We have to prepare the society first because laws don’t dictate society, society dictates the laws. At this stage, if we tamper with the existing system, it may create unintended side effects,” the RSS chief added.

He, however, suggested that a separate legal framework could be considered for same-sex couples.

“Don’t say same-sex marriage. We have to devise some system by which same-sex companions can live together. A law can be made for that, and society can accept it,” Bhagwat said.

Society should evolve a system to accommodate LGBTQIA+ persons while preserving existing social institutions, he said.