Thiruvananthapuram: There is no assurance that the ‘Kiss of love’ programme proposed to be held in Kerala’s commercial capital, Kochi on Sunday will indeed happen.
But the idea, intended to put an end to moral policing in the state, is drawing increasing support, particularly on social media.
The Facebook page of ‘Kiss of love’ has now crossed over 31,000 likes and the promoters of the event have thanked leading social and political leaders in the state who have voiced their support for the event.
Police have denied permission for the event, in which organisers planned to have dozens of people kissing in public in protest against moral policing incidents in the state.
The event itself was triggered by a recent incident in Kozhikode, where a group of Yuva Morcha activists vandalised a café following reports that there were some “immoral activities” happening at the café.
Bharatiya Janata Party state vice president M.T. Ramesh said his party would not prevent the Kiss of love event in Kochi. He said his party was neither for moral policing nor for violent protests.
“Will those who are for the event be willing to send their own family members for the event?,” he asked.
There was an attack on some of the ‘Kiss of love’ supporters in Kochi on Wednesday, but the organisers of the event got a morale boost on Thursday when Congress leader V.T. Balram commented on social media in favour of the event.
Admitting that an event like ‘Kiss of love’ was not familiar to the Kerala society, Balram went on to add that “it is undemocratic to suppress by force any peaceful get together”. The popular Congress leader commented that his party stood for “the creation of a liberal society that respected individual freedom”.
Poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar pointed out that India was a country that once had restrictions on handshakes owing to the caste system. He said that system had changed and predicted that in the near future it would be possible for people to express love and respect with a kiss.
Communist Party of India Marxist leader and MP, M.B. Rajesh has also supported the event, pointing out that just because one does not approve of an idea one does not have the right to prevent it, adding that he could not agree to “Hindu Talibanism”.
The Kiss of love Facebook page is flooded with comments against moral policing. One of them says, “A moral policing goon is one who is envious when someone else gets the pleasure he cannot get”, while another one says “It is difficult to bring about revolution with the blessings of elders”.
