Is Bangalore cool with PDA?

On International Kissing Day today, TOI speaks to youngsters to find out how socially acceptable kissing in public is in this day and age.
A smart-aleck once said, “In India, you can piss in public but not kiss. Abroad, it’s vice-aversa.” For centuries, our country has had citizens battling for traditional values, as opposed to freedom of expression in this regard.While the most common way of expressing one’s love is with a kiss, in India, public display of affection (PDA) is often looked upon as ‘disrespectful’ and an ‘unacceptable’ form of behaviour. Bangalore Times conducted a dipstick survey among youngsters to find out where the new generation draws its lines...
Kissing isn't a crime
While kissing is not really an offence, college student Crystal Clement says that people shouldn’t set wrong examples for others. “Kissing in public is not an offence, but our society cannot digest this. Personally, I am not for PDA, as it has a bad impact on the younger generation. Youngsters pick up on things quickly, and this is definitely not something that I would like to pass on to those younger than me,” she says.
Management graduate Satyajit Indramohan is in agreement. He says, “PDA is actually ‘perverted displays of affection’. It’s not just children — elders also do not like seeing something like this in public. I don’t think we should encourage days dedicated to things like kissing either.”
Media student Kevin Fernandez, though, feels that things might be changing slowly. “People in the city are becoming more liberal over time. There was a time when even holding hands with someone of the opposite sex was looked down upon. Today, it is an accepted display of affection.”
The limit
Actress Jennifer Kotwal says, “To start with, it is silly to have days dedicated to kissing here. Indians will be flabbergasted to see couples kissing in public. Though a certain section of society wouldn’t have a problem, others will go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ when they see couples kissing in public. While it is a common sight abroad, people in India should avoid kissing in public. It just calls for unwanted attention, and I am sure couples wouldn’t want that. To put it simply, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
While sharing a friendly hug, holding hands or even planting a peck on the cheek continues to be acceptable, a lip lock in public is totally uncalled for, opines citybased engineering student Kushal Reddy. “We often see young couples at shady corners even within the college campuses, and they end up crossing the limits at times. It is an awkward sight for everybody else,” he says.
Model Priyanka Diwan points out, “In India too, there are places where it is okay to indulge in a little bit of PDA. Take Goa for instance, people are quite used to this sort of a scene out there.”
Psychologist Vikram Prabhu says, “A formal or friendly hug or a peck on the cheek has been accepted in business meeting or when you catch up with an old friend. However, a kiss on the lip is often seen with an element of erotism.”
Parent, writer and socialite Pooja Bedi says that many parents associate ‘kissing’ to something signifies a disrespectful tag. “They associate kissing to sexual stuff. But many fail to understand it is the simplest form of telling your loved ones you care. Though it doesn’t raise eyebrows in places like Mumbai or Goa, people do give you that furious look. While some parents are cool about it, few others refuse to accept it. It’s all in the mindset and people have to change,” she says.
(With inputs from Shirsha Majumder)