We get to know things through newspapers and such other sources. The campaign ‘Kiss of Love’, a protest by a cluster of college students, is one of the news these days, while some others range from a woman paraded naked on donkey on the orders of Kangaroo Court to PM’s endeavors for revolutionizing India through digital dash and e-villages. It is evident that newspapers reach even the most backward provinces of the country and sway the minds of the readers. I was envisioning a girl, resident of a remote village in Chhattisgarh and a government school student, who would have seen the pictures of a couple with lips locked in public and asking for freedom for such conduct. No, nothing is wrong in the era with internet access to large number of Indians and with lessons on sex taught in schools, but why only students from a few prominent educational centers were present in the Delhi protest outside the RSS workplace? People say that the same has gained admiration and social networking page of Kiss of Love has fetched lakhs of likes, but the rest hundreds of crores of Indians cannot be self-imagined to have similar views, after all we are the people who have pursued the path of Swami Vivekananda, who, undeniably favored love, but never advocated contentment of lust in its name.
The ones raising voices, which they say is against recurring cases of moral policing, however, say that with the development of economy, social norms are bound to change and the society must accept changes, which are a ‘move forward’. In a recent survey, New Delhi was ranked among world’s most fun-loving cities and an upcoming occasion, Wine Festival in this city assures that one of the towns of India has accepted the ‘move forward’. But what about those rural blocks where open defecation, absence of drinking water and education facilities, harassment of women, and not freedom to hug, kiss and hold hands in public are the concerns? Why am I speaking of these facts is just to make the advanced youth realize that the Indian economy is still developing, unemployment rates are high, and subsidies on fertilizers and food are swelling the fiscal deficit. When the new PM speaks of collaborative deeds for nation building, he seeks our devotion in terms of adding a brick to monument of democracy. Have all the participants of the Kiss of Love campaign pursued the goals of clean India and clean Ganga? Prior to asking for the freedom to kiss and hug at public places, shouldn’t we protest against what just occurred in the state of Chhattisgarh when a woman was paraded on a donkey on the roads of the village? The news, however, is paid least heed to as this isn’t that ‘hot’.
Ok, protests and demonstrations are one of the most vital pillars of democracy, and the nation can hardly aim for the target of inclusive growth unless the ones suppressed by others are represented on a public platform. But an eye for an eye; is this what we are aiming at in this case? Some politically driven people have in the past agitated the fire by taking a tough stand on girls and boys relishing their right to freedom. Then should we ask for penal actions against those elements, or should we take this an opportunity to derive acceptance for fulfillment of our short-lived emotions, which we are terming as love. Love is beyond kisses and hugs, and I can bet that my young friends would accept this fact. Even I have reasons to protest; I too disagree with the stand of many columnists, but should I write all my views in a blunt way and condemn these writers? Or in case I am angry with what a rapist did with a 3-year old girl, should I assassinate him on my own? I am just trying to substantiate a very basic norm of any society, that no person or a group of persons can demand any facility that opposes traditions, social harmony, cultural values, and legal acceptance. In case we get a supportive legislation for what you are asking for and a couple in rural Haryana locks lips in public resulting in aggressive consequences, would the Kiss for Love protestors take the liability?
Remember, any and every of our demands can never supersede the social norms. No law can be framed for a trivial cluster, keeping the rest of India at stake. And if there is nothing wrong in locking lips in public, have the protestors tried the same at home? And if parents do allow such acts in metro cities, why is there a need to use public places for the same. Or are we justifying our desperation? Then one day even a rapist can come up validating his. Sorry my young friends, your demands may have been just in case we were living in an upgraded milieu. You must view the outcomes of your protest in terms of whole of India, where if your demand is approved, there will be no end to nuisance. Places for making love are different and none of the revolutions can permit love making at the venues you are looking forward to. Tell me, are the pictures with couples locking lips outside colleges’ campuses needed? Where did all this begin from? The dissent was I believe against the unpleasant cases of moral policing, hence should it have not been confined to putting an end to unlawful practices? Holding hands in public was never a dispute I believe; then are we trying to use this golden prospect for sanctioning even lip locks in public? And if one day your father objects a couple from doing such acts while in public place, are you ready for some bitter words for him? All in all; let us understand that the protest has been dishonestly promoted; hence all of yours’ wisdom is needed.
Lastly, no arguments or justifications can approve instances of brutality in the name of moral policing and killing of young lovers in the name of honor and pride. Similar is my view and I believe would be the view of my friends, when lip locks in public and the evil side of moral policing is talked about- Both are equally unjust and carry nil references to our cultural heritage and human values.
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