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FRAGMENTS OF A PRISONER'S DIARY
which gives rise to all sorts of licentious and perverse practices, in their turn often leading to the commission of crimes. Would not the holy man be less despicable morally if he had visited the house of a prostitute in order to satisfy his natural desire, instead of doing so in the aboininable manner he adopted ? Even homosexuality, as such, need not be regarded as moral degradation. Preferred to normal intercourse, it is rather an emo tional morbidity to be treated psychiatrically. But with those like our holy man, it is not a matter of preference, but practised because it is cheaper and can be done clandestinely with greater facility. Thus, it must be regarded as sheer moral perversity, and those given to it condemned as corrupt criminals, masquerading in a religious guise. Rational beings could hardly adhere to, and proudly defend, a religion that encourages such corrupt and corrupting practices under the vcil of venerable professions.
Not only in India, but everywhere, crimes are symptoms of social disease. They have been that throughout the ages, all over the world. And instead of treating them as such, attempts have been made to suppress them more or less cruelly with the sanction of religion, ethics, social codes and law. The attempts have failed as they must. So long as society remains based upon ignorance, superstition, brutalisation, suppression, poverty and degradation of the masses, so that privileges of 234
