Seeing these birds, their sign of affection high up there in their tree perch, oblivious to the other birds and tourists gawking at them, made me stop and think about love.
It’s the most basic human emotion there is. Love makes the world go round, after all!
And yet, it’s the most controversial one too.
We live in the 21st century, and people are still regularly persecuted for being in love.
Honor killings are all too common, as are khap panchayat rulings against lovers from the same village. If you’re a man in love with another man or a woman in love with another woman, you are looked upon as a human aberration and someone who needs to be cured of this “disease”. If you belong to different castes or different states or heavens, different countries, “well meaning” relatives and sometimes even parents warn you that you will be unable to adjust to their culture. And if you belong to different religions, especially if one of you is Hindu and the other Muslim, may the Gods bless you because no one else will.
But why so much pressure around something that is just so simple, and so personal? Why have hearts become the landscape for political battles and moral compasses? Why does who you love matter, shouldn’t the fact that you do love matter more?
Those are some questions that I’ve never been able to answer. Have you?
I shot this photo on my visit to Bharatpur a few years ago.
Linking up with MicroBlog Mondays.
We wear our hearts on our sleeves and hate in our words and actions! Love is indeed need of the hour Jini! A beautiful capture and a fitting depiction for this post!
Yes, that’s so true Kala, and so sad! If only we could bring love into our words and actions, the world would be a much better place!
Leave different religion, getting married to someone who practices the same religion as yours itself is so difficult when you chose the person yourself. Love is persecuted and I hate that. I think people should be allowed to choose their life partners without any kind of rush or interference but we have seen otherwise, haven’t we?
Oh yes, that too! Why do parents never trust their children when it comes to choosing their life partner? That’s another mystery that I’ve been unable to solve!
Was searching for this comment. Yes, you are completely right. It happened to me and I knew about it beforehand. We cannot changed people’s mentality about Love, specially the people from 20th century.
Love is a universal language but how can we expect those to understand it who live for false labels, outdated rituals and traditions, fear, judgemental mindsets, philosophy of owning their children, flawlessness & unquestionability of parents, of parents will being equivalent to God’s will. Ask them and they will tell you there is nothing called love.
And that’s just so sad! We’ve slapped so many labels on other people and ourselves that love has been crowded out and forgotten.
Love is a difficult emotion and yet it is our true nature. I think we’ve forgotten what heart centred love really is.
Yes, I do think we have. We are all, in essence, the same. This fear of “the other” creates monsters where none existed. Very sad state of affairs.
Love needs to come rom within, somehow the partner choosing rituals of our country is the worst, I have seen people live the whole life without actually knowing each other, they just live together without love…
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And that’s the absolute worst sort of situation to be in. But yes, I have seen some cases like this too, and its heartbreaking.
Love is important. But love which asks you to pay a price like conversion (which most often inter religion marriages do) is a doubtful type of love.
Love doesn’t ask for a price.It accepts
Not all inter-religion marriages ask for conversion. I’ve had an inter-religion marriage and there was never any talk of conversion. But even if there is talk of conversion, I believe the decision should be up to the two people in love and no one else.
Such a simple concept, such a strong feeling, yet such a huge impact in the society for its ways. That is one question we can try so hard but never answer. Perfectly put.
I can only hope that things will improve among the coming generations. But looking at the rise and rise of hatred in the world, I wonder if and when it will happen!
No answers, but this is so well-written and thought provoking.
Thank you Mel! 🙂
Love is not dependent on anything and it takes courage. It is all about beauty and peace all around but sadly many people do not understand this..good one 🙂
Yes, it’s very sad that people don’t let love…live. Thanks Deepa!
Spread love! Lovely post.
Thank you! 🙂
The stories one hears and the lengths people go to keep lovers apart. All motivated by fear of society and of the unknown. But I’m glad change is coming, albeit slowly.
Love your comment.
Yes, change is coming, and that is good! These days, though, there’s so much hate too – and that is scary.
it is not just religion, in some societies some people are just against the idea of love! Radical ppl
I don’t think there’s one true answer. Hopefully we will realise soon that love doesn’t come in neat little packages.
I think the only thing that is important is love. But then, I’m an incurable romantic. 😉
What gets my goat is that, people are still uncomfortable with the idea of love – and all these shackles of caste, religion, blah blah are just ways to stop people from finding joy in love – as if that ever worked! And thank God for that 🙂 Lovely picture.
So very uncomfortable with the idea! And the whole rhetoric around religion and just seems to be increasing – it’s alarming and sad.
Strange isn’t it, how a beautiful feeling like love can get lovers killed. This desire of the society to rule someone else’s life and choices hasn’t changed much over the centuries.
Unfortunately not – it’s such a shame!