Emote Control !

The city is Kolkata. A Garia bound minibus comes to a screeching halt in front of Rabindra Sadan. In the rosy glow of twilight the colored fountains come to life & the ambience is ‘oh so romantic.’ And then, heads lean out from the bus, eyes pop out from their sockets & chuckles follow a choral rebuke! Seated around the fountain in various degrees of intimacy are scores of couples. While some just cuddle up, others are slightly more daring, risking rude stares, cutting comments & disapproving chuckles for a bit of alfresco loving. The lights turn green- so does the onlookers! True love, they say, is not without jealousy.
Holding hands, necking, head on shoulders (I meant their partner’s) & even a little…ok maybe a lot of kissing. Couples being demonstrative about their love are a common sight in the metros. Welcome to the brave new world of public display of affection (PDA in short).
The permissible levels of PDA vary with time, place & society. Life is dynamic and change is the only constant. In this era of simple thinking & high living we are materialistic and more receptive to new concepts. With new parks, shopping malls and other new hangouts, the ‘all roads lead to Victoria’ syndrome is fading too. Loss of nostalgia? Maybe !
But who is to define ‘obscenity’ or ‘improper behavior’? Some so called ‘moral’ polices take up the herculean job. (Alas! Only if they joined our under-staffed police force, some ‘minor’ crimes like eve-teasing and rape, which are so in sync with our ‘culture’ could have been prevented.) According to them, public display of affection is a major blow to our traditional values. Quite paradoxical I think. The traditions are supposed to be our roots, eh? Then how can they be so weak that a change in human outlook can uproot us from our ‘culture’? And tradtions? For crying out loud, Kamasutra is a part of our heritage, Khajuraho a glimpse into the past, and sex our national past time. (Disbelievers, we are the 2nd most populated nation!) It’s high time we drop the colonial baggage of Victorian morality. The Brits did a long time back.
But alas, moral policing is omnipresent. So the ‘crime’ of displaying your love should be committed judging the place & time. The advice is for the best interest of the couples as it is they who have to brave the catcalls, rude stares or the perennial nuisance of policemen out to make a quick buck. There are PDA ‘watchers’ of other kinds too. This species of generally middle aged, heterosexual males may be identified by paying attention to the fences of PDA hotspots like Eliot Park. One sees them voyeurs feasting their eyes and wonders- what can be more hypocritical!
Love, lust or lament, the bottom line is- that in future more entwined couples exchanging sweet nothings will litter our neighborhood parks. The future existence of people sniggering at these couples is also confirmed. If you are from either group then I have a humble suggestion. Take it easy- live & let love.

(Photo of V Day celebration in New York's Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt.)