According to the rule pronounced by Supreme Court today, Indians have a constitutional right to privacy. The verdict has created a lot of buzz across the country.
This rule will be followed by paradigm shift on the civil rights issues which have been doing rounds. The major issues which have been addressed by this new rule include homosexuality, beef possession, and prohibition.
According to experts, this rule is a testimony to India’s democratic governance. This rule will give citizens the authority to challenge laws on the personal right.
Privacy is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, and the government has argued that people cannot expect an absolute right to privacy.
The Supreme Court’s judgment said: “It is an individual’s choice as to who enters his house, how he lives and in what relationship. The privacy of the home must protect the family, marriage, procreation and sexual orientation which are all important aspects of dignity.”
“Ones sexual orientation is undoubtedly an attribute of privacy,” it added.
The court also said: “…as new cases brought new issues and problems before the Court, the content of the right to privacy has found elaboration in these diverse contexts. These would include… food preferences and animal slaughter.”
“I do not think that anybody would like to be told by the State as to what they should eat or how they should dress or whom they should be associated with either in their personal, social or political life,” Justice J Chelameswar noted.
