The Smells of Home

Sandip Roy

A little about the authorJK

There wasnt really any information about Sandip Roy

Arranged Marriages
We all know theyre very popular in India but

A few facts:
95% of all Indian marriages are arranged (McDonald) Marriage isnt about the union of two people in India, as it is in the United States, its about the alliance between two families. According to the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929-1978, the legal age for marriage is 18 for females and 21 for males (McDonald) Most men are married by their late twenties and most women are married by 24 (McDonald) Savitri was only 17, while Avinash was 33.

How to get around the age requirement laws for marriage 101
Many children are married under the appropriate age. This is not a legally consummated marriage. It is more of a cultural context. These marriages arent considered void, as long as they arent consummated until the children are of legal age.

The duty of marriage in a different light

In the Muslim faith, it is the responsibility of the parents to provide for the education and the marriage of their children. The parents duties are not considered complete unless their daughter is happily married (Ahmad 53). The Day he got his professorship I said Enough Avi. Now I have to see you settled down with a good girl. Then only can I shut my eyes in peace (Roy 321).

Duties of Marriage in India

Marriage is considered sacred It is for the good of human beings Its intended for procreation to carry on the family name He is my only son. He knows his duty (Roy 321).

Freedom???
Stereotypically America is thought of as a free country, but because of the Indian culture that Avinash was brought up in, he doesnt feel free. She jokes about not feeling free because shes going there as his wife. She doesnt realize shes part of the reason he doesnt feel free to be himself, even in America Who is free anyway? (Roy 322).

Not Just About Duty

Up until 2009 it was actually illegal in India to be gay Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code: Unnatural offences Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine (Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code,1860).

What was going on in 1996?

The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 was passed into law on September 21,1996. The vote passed in part because it became a Referendum on the idea of gay marriage(Goldberg-Hiller 1)

How does this relate?

Avinash was not allowed to marry or even be with his lover because of the laws against it in his culture. While DOMA was not nearly as harsh to US gay couples, it still restricted them from being able to freely be with who they wanted to be. It shows what can happen to people when they are forced to be in a marriage they dont want to be in because of society. Its not uncommon to use stories, songs, etc. to help with political issues.

Works Cited
Saheris Choice. Dir. Hamis McDonald. Videocorp LTD, 1998. Ahmad, Imtiaz, ed. Family, Kinship and Marriage Among Muslimsin India. Manohar: Jawaharlal Nehru University Press, 1976. "Section 377 in the Indian Penal Code, 1860." Central Government Act. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct 2013. <http://indiankanoon.org/doc/1836974/>. Roy, Sandip. The Smells of Home. 1996. 321-325. Print. Goldberg-Hiller, Jonathan. 2002. The Limits to Union: Same-Sex Marriage and the Politics of Civil Rights. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press.