Leaders question efficacy of form of protest
Students belonging to Kerala Students Union take out a gag march on Friday to protest against the forthcoming Kiss of Love campaign in Kochi (Photo: DC)
Kochi: Mainstream women’s organisations in the State remained divided over their response to the Kiss of Love protest scheduled to be held in Kochi on Sunday by a group of activists against incidents of moral policing in the State. While the Mahila Congress remained opposed to the concept, the pro-CPM All India Democratic Women’s Association said it would not oppose the event.
Mahila Congress State president Bindu Krishna said the protest was another form of exploiting women. “These forms of protest cannot be supported as kissing in public is yet another form of using the body of a woman as a commodity”, she said.
K.K.Shailaja, national joint secretary of AIDWA said she would not oppose the protest, but expressed doubts over the efficacy of the form of protest. “I have no doubt that despicable acts of moral policing should be opposed. But I’m afraid the protest in Marine Drive would end up as exhibitionism catering to voyeuristic gaze”, she said.
Jolly Chirayath, a member of Stree Koottayma, a Kochi-based activist group feels the debate triggered by the Kiss of Love activists shows that mainstream women’s organisations in the State are nothing but an appendage of political parties. “They are incapable of thinking anything beyond the stand taken by their respective parties. It’s no surprise that these entities either oppose or take an ambivalent stand on Kiss of Love”, she said.
The organisers of Kiss of Love, meanwhile, told reporters that they expected at least 800 people at the event scheduled to be held at 5 pm near Kettuvallam at Marine Drive.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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