In 2017, when Hadiya married Shafin Jahan, after having converted from Hinduism to Islam, the Kerala High Court vehemently challenged the legitimacy of the marriage. They retorted that it had occurred without her parent’s permission and ran against prevailing social norms.

How does the state continue to regulate women’s choice and marital desire? In this episode, we explore the tension between community practice and that of individual choice when it comes to love and desire. What would a fundamental right to marry a person of one’s choice look like? Tune into episode 2 of the Contested Nation 'Love and Desire' with Madhavi Menon. 

Joining us we have Madhavi Menon, who is a Professor of English at Ashoka University, and Director of the Centre for Studies in Gender and Sexuality. She specialises in queer theory, tackling questions of desire, sexuality and identity. She is a champion of non-identitarian politics that takes seriously the desires and fantasies that weaves the tapestry of our everyday lives.

References:

Shakesqueer: A Queer Companion to the Complete Works of Shakespeare,
Indifference to Difference: Towards a Queer Universalism
Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India 
The Law of Desire: Rulings on Sex and Sexuality in India
Center for Studies in Gender and Sexuality