Pub bharo campaign

The underlying issue in the attack on the pub Amnesia in Mangalore is that one’s views cannot be imposed by denial of freedom of choice to other persons and by recourse to violence. Unfortunately this crucial issue gets side-tracked by the pub bharo campaign. Our insistence should be on the immediate arrest of the hooligans indulging in such acts, making such offences non-bailable and meting out stringent punishment to them after a swift trial. Moreover it is necessary to eradicate the bigotry impelling such acts. That can be best done by dialogue rather than by presenting Pramod Muthalik with chaddis, which gives him undue publicity that can be used to his advantage.

Hazards of kissing

Goodness gracious, I did not know kissing was dangerous in India and that too between married couples. Surely it is a normal expression of affection. But the Delhi Police thought differently and arrested a young married couple kissing under a Delhi Metro pillar and prosecuted them for obscenity. No wonder Justice Muralidhar of Delhi High Court, who rightly quashed the prosecution, was troubled that “an act of warmth between the couple would be interpreted as obscene, thus triggering the coercive process of law”.