Circumcision is a surgical procedure that removes the foreskin in males. It is a controversial topic in many parts of the world. In India however, circumcision is viewed as a barbaric practice. If you are an Indian man, you are expected to have a foreskin. Only Indian Muslims circumcise, which is a minority of the population. It is seen as ‘mutilation’ by others, like cutting off useful parts of the body, and is often ridiculed.
Though I am Hindu, I had a medical condition called phimosis, which is the difficulty to retract the foreskin. Thus, I had to undergo circumcision as a child. It is something I was teased for and was always embarrassed about because people in India see it as mutilation. If you are Muslim, you can definitely relate to this. A Hindu man is always expected to have a foreskin, so being circumcised will surprise people and many women find it awkward.
The truth is, circumcision actually reduces urinary infections, the spread of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases and should be carried out in rural areas where there is lack of hygiene and proper resources.
The only drawbacks of this procedure is that there is no skin to protect the head of the penis, thus it becomes vulnerable to developing callouses and becomes hard and also it is extremely difficult to masturbate. Most circumcised men have to use a lubricant because of the lack of foreskin and it becomes a tedious procedure. A lot of sensation is also lowered because of the removal of erogenous tissue.
Women in India are not used to a circumcised penis. They view it as something alien and mutilated. Most women I have been with have been surprised by it and have often body-shamed me. It is something most of them never see, as it is very rare to do it for a medical reason. They often ask me if I am Muslim, because it is seen as something that only Muslims do. At the end of the day, foreskin or no foreskin, people must respect the custom, and should not be used to discriminate against anyone on a religious basis. Maybe not physically, but we are the same. I hope one day people in India will come to terms with it.