Now, their arrests have given an outlet for conservative resentment against the movement and provided an ‘aha’ moment for those who claimed the protests would lead to sexual debauchery and rise in prostitution.
“Rahul and Resmi were just two of the hundreds of people who took part in the protests and it was the media which made both icons of the protest,” says Harish Vasudevan Sreedevi, another leading face in the Kiss of Love movement and a lawyer and environmental activist.
“We strongly protest attempts in the media to link the arrests to the movement and thereby tarnish its image. If I am arrested tomorrow for some other crime then the movement and its members are not to be blamed. The politics raised by Kiss of Love is still relevant,” he says.
The activists say that the very nature of the abuse, point to the fact that a movement such as Kiss of Love was the need of the hour and that it was successful in making its impact felt across Kerala and rest of the country. “We are not yet free from moral policing and the movement’s importance in the coming days is significant,” says Thirayath.
CPM MP MB Rajesh, who was one of the rare politicians who had lent support to the movement says, “There are many criticisms against me both online and offline for taking a position on this. I have no regret in taking part in the movement and will continue supporting such protests in the future too,” he says.
Congress MLA VT Balram is another who had faced flak for sticking his neck out for the Kiss of Love. He said that he will continue to support movements against any threat to the fundamental rights of citizens in the name of religion, culture and morality.
The Kiss of Love movement was an unorganised coming together of previously unconnected youth to condemn growing acts of moral policing across India. The public display of affection was the only connecting thread between the protesters in various towns of Kerala, Kolkata and Delhi.
This being the case, the charges against two of its activists ought not debase a movement which has triggered vocal protests against patriarchial values across India. It was also the inspiration for several protests in Kerala including the “Break the Curfew” at College of Engineering, Trivandrum, which sought to extend the timings of the girls’ hostel and the protests against gender segregation in Farook College in Kozhikode district.
adarsh@tehelka.com
