'Remember that in the end this is a judicial pronouncement that should serve as law only in the absence of legislation,' the newspaper said. Gay and Finally Legal, headlined Mail Today 'The judgement should be seen by all of us, gay or straight, no matter what we think of sexuality and homosexuality, as a victory for a secular, democratic, constitutional and free India,' he wrote. Writing in the same newspaper, urban policy analyst Gautam Bhan said the ruling was victory for democratic India. 'But the government must read it for its enlightened constitutionalism'. Rights groups have long campaigned for a repeal of the law
