Indic Academy To Host Conference Discussing Hindu Traditions On Sex, Gender, Sexuality; Here Are All The Details

Indic Academy’s Inter Gurukula-University Centre, in association with Srishti Madurai, is all set to host a conference on sex, gender and sexuality in Hindu traditions at New Delhi on 31 January.

The event is free and open for all, interested participants though are required to register themselves beforehand via this link.

Indic Academy in its release states that the academic discourse and narrative on gender and sexuality in India has been a hostage to borrowed wisdom from the west for decades now.

It adds that our academic institutions and media continue to be dominated by activists who do not even possess a foundational understanding of dharmic values. Indic knowledge traditions have comprehended issues of gender and sexuality in varied contexts which are relevant in the current paradigm.

However, there is no discussion about our ancient understanding on these subjects in the mainstream media or academia. Going forward, it is important to take immediate steps towards course correction. It is equally important to be conscious of the ground reality while corrective measures are undertaken.

It is critical to create a discourse which is rooted in our intellectual traditions and is closer to our living. The starting point of this exercise should be a revival of scholarship on issues of gender and sexuality. A clear normative articulation from the academic world on gender and sexuality is pertinent to guide the law-making process.

In this context, the primary focus of this conference is to examine the subject of gender and sexuality in the human rights and medical discourses from an Indic perspective. It also aims to deliberate on the subject of protection of gender specific sacred spaces, rituals, temples and spread awareness on issues faced by individuals and communities with diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC).

This conference would serve as a platform for reflection, communication, and exchange of ideas which can give rise to an open dialogue in the public discourse on gender and sexuality. Further, it seeks to bring together government officials, medical and scientific experts, academicians and members of diverse SOGIESC community on one stage.

It is hoped that the conference paves the way for creating a space for diverse SOGIESC Indians with a view to ensure comprehensive protection of their human rights as recognised under our current constitutional scheme and Hindu Dharma.

For more details about the objectives and intended outcomes of the conference, please refer to this document.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/JKqRELcWTAPgRWdz7
Date: 31 January 2020
Time: 9 AM-5.30 PM
Venue: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, 11, Man Singh Road, New Delhi
Contact: SOGIESC@indica.org.in and office.srishtimadurai@gmail.com