The Young of India Reclaim Their Space With Love And a Kiss

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of students gathered at Jawaharlal Nehru University this Sunday in a protest -- symbolised through public displays of affection -- against moral policing.

The event in turn followed a protest at Jhandewalan in Delhi, where hundreds of young people--many first time demonstrators--- attempted to march to the RSS office. Hindu Sena members gathered in protest but undeterred the young people marched on, kissing and hugging. The police barricades prevented them from making it to the RSS office with the students making it clear that since the RSS “has come to us on this issue, we have decided to come to them on its own turf instead.”

The effort of the campaign that is to reclaim the space that the moral police has been insisting on taking away from the youth across the country.

These events against moral policing are inspired by the “Kiss of Love” protest in Kochi in November 2, which was planned as a response to the storming of a cafe in Kozhikode, Kerala by BJP workers who smashed glass and furniture raising the cry of “immoral activities.” The group’s facebook page (/kissoflovekochi) says: “Moral Policing is a criminal activity. Most of political parties and religious organizations tries to do that.”

The Delhi events are based on the same principle: protesting against moral policing through displays of affection, and reiterating the “freedom to express love.”

The images below -- posted on Twitter -- capture the spirit of Delhi’s “Kiss of Love” protests.