Young Mumbai doesn’t want kissing in public

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Naomi Canton, Hindustan Times

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Mumbai, February 06, 2009

First Published: 13:17 IST(6/2/2009)

Last Updated: 13:19 IST(6/2/2009)

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Worried globalisation is corrupting the minds of the youth? Well, don’t be.

This week the Supreme Court set a precedent after ruling that a married couple kissing in public did not amount to “obscenity”, but Mumbai’s GenNext are horrified.

They say kissing in public is against Indian culture, offensive to elders and an imported western custom that should be banned.

At Mithibai College in suburban Vile Parle, Priyanka Patil (16), a first year student at NM College, from Kandivli, said kissing in public could corrupt the minds of young people, while Sonali Shah (18), a student from Borivli, said it would hurt the sentiments of elders.

Esha Shah (18), a student at the Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering, from Goregaon, said it was “western culture”. “We want to keep Indian culture. We don’t want to be western.”

Sitting on the steps outside Fun Republic, a multiplex in suburban Andheri, Class XI Hemangini Deshmukh (16), said: “Its against sanskar (the right way to live) to kiss in public. I would not like to see anyone doing it.” His friend Keyur Buddhdev (17), also from Andheri, said: “You have to show respect to older people.”

Sohit Sarkar (25), a creative head in a TV company, added: “It will take time for India to digest this thing.”

The older business crowd was also appalled. “We want to save Indian culture. This is what westerners do,” said Kirtishwar Kishore (29) a marketing professional from Chembur. “The most important aspect of Indian culture is giving respect to elders.”

But the youth agreed it should not be a criminal offence.

However, there was also the odd detractor.

“I think kissing in public is fine. It is against Indian culture but I don’t mind,” said Prerna Singh (15), a student from Sathaye College, who lives in Andheri.

“I kiss my girlfriend in public,” said Rahul Pandey (18), a first year BSc student at Mithibai College, also from Andheri. “And I’ve never been arrested. I kiss her in the middle of the street. Obviously you should not go further than a kiss.”

However they were in the minority. The one thing students were unified on: they did not want to see Valentine’s Day banned.

Avani Jain (16), of NM College, who lives in Andheri, said: “Valentine’s Day is about the people you love – your friends and family. It’s not about couples.”

Dukhtaran sound V-Day warning in Valley

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Aurangzeb Naqshbandi, Hindustan Times

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New Delhi, February 06, 2009

First Published: 13:11 IST(6/2/2009)

Last Updated: 13:13 IST(6/2/2009)

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Both Hindu and Muslim fundamentalists seem to agree on one point — moral policing, and Valentine’s Day is the busiest time of the year for them.

After anonymous hoardings in Srinagar city warned couples of dire consequences, it is now the turn of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (the daughters of faith). The Kashmiri women separatist group has asked shopkeepers not to sell gifts or cards for Valentine’s Day.

In its “appeal”, the outfit also asked restaurant and hotel owners not to organise parties. “Valentine’s Day celebrations are against our culture and religion,” outfit chief Aasiya Andrabi said.

The managements of Mughal and botanical gardens have been told not to let couples in on February 14.

“Such celebrations lead to immorality; these are part of the West’ cultural invasion,” she said.

Several right-wing Hindu organisations like the Shiv Sena and Sri Rama Sene have already warned youngsters against Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Andrabi, an executive of the Forum Against Social Evils, has been at the forefront of protests for the last few years. She and members of her outfit raid shops, confiscate cards and chase away couples.

Now, Couples have nothing to fear from police

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HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times

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New Delhi, February 03, 2009

First Published: 23:23 IST(3/2/2009)

Last Updated: 23:24 IST(3/2/2009)

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said they would take stern action against the two policemen who had booked a married couple in Dwarka for "sitting in an objectionable position near a Metro pillar and kissing," last year.

The Delhi High Court had stayed criminal proceedings against the married couple on Monday and also issued a notice to the Delhi Police.

On Tuesday, the police chief while addressing a press conference said that he was against "moral policing" and would suspend his men if they were found harassing couples in public places.

"We are no moral police. I will take strict action against policemen who harass couples in public places," said Y.S. Dadwal, commissioner of police. He also added that he had given strict instructions to his men not to initiate action against couples sitting in parks.

Delhi Police had registered only three cases under Section 294 IPC (Obscene Act) all over the city last year.

Dadwal added in the past also he had taken action against policemen who were harassing couples.

"The police does not look for opportunities to book couples sitting in parks. We are here to act as helping agents. We are here to protect couples not harass them. If anyone (policeman) found guilty would not be spared," said Dadwal.

The police chief said his force would take adequate measures to ensure that couples sitting in parks do not face any problems.

......

Kissing in public by married couple not obscene: HC

2 Feb 2009, 2226 hrs IST, Abhinav Garg, TNN

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NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has stayed criminal proceedings against a couple wondering how and why an "expression of love by a young married couple" in this case allegedly by stealing kisses in public should attract the charge of obscenity.  Justice S Muralidhar stayed an FIR lodged against one Ajit (name changed) and his wife who were booked by the Dwarka police station cops for allegedly kissing each other under the local Metro station even as they awaited word from their lawyer in connection with registration of theirmarriage.  "The FIR doesn't make a case for offence under Section 294 (obscenity) read with 34 IPC. It is inconceivable how, even if one were to take what is stated in the FIR to be true, an expression of love by a young married couple would attract offence of obscenity and trigger the coercive process of law," observed Justice Muralidhar. The case has been posted for February 25 when the prosecution will have to report about the action taken on the complaint of police harassment lodged by thecouple with the police commissioner.  The newly married duo was picked up by ASI Vidhyadhar Singh of Dwarka police station on September 4 last year after he claimed to have found them "sitting in an objectionable position near a Metro pillar and kissing each other due to which passersby were feeling bad." Even though Ajit told them they were married, the cop hauled them to the police station and arrested them. Later, both were granted bail from the police station itself.  HC was surprised how Singh disregarded the fact that the two were married and registered an FIR for obscenity. Moreover, neither in the FIR nor in the subsequent chargesheet did the police attest any statement of witnesses or 'passersby', leaving no doubt in the mind of the court that charges were cooked up.  Ajit alleged both to the police and the bar council that the lawyer who promised to get the marriage registered connived with Singh to extort money from him and his wife as they were unaware of the intricacies of law.  In his petition before HC seeking quashing of the FIR, Ajit mentioned how, while the couple was being 'interrogated' by the cops, his ATM card was misused to polish off Rs 20,000 from his bank account. He said the couple got married in first week of September last year at an Arya Samaj temple without the knowledge of their respective parents. Therefore, both continued to stay separately as they tried to get the marriage registered and sought services of a lawyer who, as it turns out, cheated them. The petition in fact denies that they were kissing each other and says they were just clicking self portraits on the mobile phone camera.  Arguing their case before HC, the lawyer brought out finer distinctions in the law on what constitutes obscenity. Speaking to Times City, the advocate explained, "Obscenity charges get attracted when the act is so obscene that it encourages depravity or annoys the public. In this case both these contents are missing because the chargesheet is silent on any passersby as originally claimed," he added.

Delhi pepper-spray squads to protect couples on Valentines day

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi 

Sunday, 1 February 2009

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For young lovers in Delhi, this Valentines Day could be a little spicier than normal. On February 14, starry-eyed couples in India's capital are to be protected against "moral vigilantes" by volunteers armed with chilli spray and martial arts expertise.

The decision to set up the groups of "pro-young people" units was taken following a recent attack by right-wing Hindu activists on a group of women enjoying a drink in a pub in the southern city of Mangalore, which they deemed “un-Indian” behaviour. The incident has triggered a debate as to what is acceptable behaviour for Indian women in a country that is wrestling with economic and cultural change.

The National Panthers Party (NPP), a political party that is head-quartered in Indian-administered Kashmir, has now taken the decision to set up the protective love squads. The head of the party's Delhi chapter, Sanjoy Sachdev, said last night: "Whoever was responsible for those attacks on the women is breaking the Constitution. Such people should not be allowed in the country."

He added: "Our volunteers will be armed with chilli pepper which we will throw into the eyes of anyone [assaulting young people]. The police can only do so much. Ordinary people have to act against the fundamentalists. We are pro-young people."

The attack on the young women, many of them students, took place at a bar called Amnesia and was carried out a week ago by around three dozen activists from Sri Ram Sena (SRS), or Lord Ram's Army. The women were allegedly molested and beaten by the young men, who took exception to what they said was inappropriate behaviour for Indian women and young people in general. The founder of the group, Pramod Mutalik, the founder of SRS, was arrested but later released on bail.