Issue and Opponent: Expressions of sexuality and public display of affection are strongly opposed by the right-wing political parties in India such as RSS. Their opposition is based on their conservative interpretation of Hinduism. The right-wing parties have cracked down on young couples peacefully displaying their affection for each other in public places. The ban on kissing in public is an extension of that. The conservative mobsters entered a Kerala cafe frequented by young people and destroyed it in the name of preserving morality. The kissing ban and moral policing proved excessive to the public and groups of young people started opposing right-wing restrictions in different parts of India. The dilemma action described here was performed in Kochi, Kerala.
Dilemma Action: Groups of young people gathered in public places and kissed each other in direct defiance of the right-wing threat of punitive actions against people who dared to show public display of affection. Labeled the ‘Kiss of Love’, the action became popular on Facebook and other social media platforms. This was one of the many “Kiss of Love” dilemma actions performed in different big cities in India.
Outcome: The action performed in Kochi spread to other cities in India and was made further popular by supporters writing about it on social media. However, the right-wing rhetoric did not change. The RSS party leaders did not change their stance on the matter but clarified that they were against kissing in public only. They emphasized that the party had nothing against couples sitting in public and displaying affection by any other means. The RSS further added that they wanted to ban kissing in public places because it was the same as taking off clothes and standing naked in public, as reported by the Times of India.