If pissing is allowed in public, why not kissing?

The Kiss of Love campaign, which originated in Kochi a couple of days ago, has gathered support from the student community across the country. The drive started last week, when a few students decided to protest against moral policing by kissing in public. But, they were met with strong opposition, with cops detaining organisers and several participants before they could reach the venue.

However, that didn't stop youngsters from other Indian cities from taking to the streets in support of the movement. Soon enough, students from IIT (Mumbai) and Delhi were showing solidarity by locking lips in public. At the city's IIT campus, over 300 students and 20 faculty members were seen championing the cause, all the while pecking, hugging and kissing each other. continued on page 3

Youngsters' point of view

People can piss in public, but if someone wants to kiss, it is labeled 'obscene'! If pissing is allowed in public why not kissing?" — Raman S, student

My sister is 18 and as an adult, she has every right to go ahead and kiss if she chooses to. As her brother, I support her right to freedom. — Bilal Majid, doctoral student

A kiss is an expression of affection. It is my right to do what I want to do. I am not doing anything obscene by kissing or hugging.

Arundhathi B, student

Who defines culture and how? Who assigned the moral police the 'job' that they are doing? — Agaja, MA student

Uddipta Chatterjee, one of the organisers of this rally, said, "We received calls from other students in the city and working professionals. Now we are contemplating taking the campaign outside the campus."

Meanwhile, the University of Hyderabad took the drive a notch ahead by giving it a new twist. They've created what is now being called the Lipstick Revolution, where young people smeared posters with lipsticks to voice their protest against moral policing this weekend. While the cops tried hard to keep them under control, nothing could deter the kissers. The students contended that a kiss is simply a gesture of affection and should not be seen otherwise. As the entire movement gathered tempo, the students, who had come from as far and wide as Delhi, the North-East, Maharashtra, UP, Kerala and Andhra Telangana, were seen leaving lipstick marks everywhere — from their faces to mouths and posters.

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