BANGALORE: Are you for or against PDA? By PDA, or public display of affection, I mean the hugging, hand-holding, ‘honey’ calling and smooching in presence of others. It has been a sizzling topic for sometime now. Even holding hands can send alarm bells ringing. But, could we not grant this much to the Cupid-struck people in our city? This website's newspaper explored the issue and found out that youngsters don’t do it to show off really. Bangalore has few places where lovers can steal some moments together — maybe just a Cubbon Park or a Lalbagh isn’t enough.
“A display of affection comes naturally, you don’t do it purposefully, there are moments when you’d want to hug or kiss, but then it’s all in that moment,” said Shrinivas Jain, a student.
“It’s funny how, when I am walking with my girlfriend and we just cuddle a bit, people stare. Isn’t hugging your loved one justified?” he asked. But sometimes It’s not just hugging, as is believed by others.
“When we walk on the streets with our kids and see this young couple getting cosy with each other, we do at times feel embarrassed,” says Mrs Gor, a housewife.
When asked to define “getting cosy” she said, “They smooch, hug and do things which are so private.
I feel amused how the young generation doesn’t feel awkward doing it all in the open.” But a young couple refutes it.
“An excellent point, but I don’t agree. I think when my wife is looking straight into my eyes and tells me how much she loves me, it’ll be insane on my part not to kiss her, and it just lasts for a moment,” says Kopal Jain, an IT professional.
However, many hold that watching a movie in a cinema hall with family no more remains a family affair. “Sitting there I constantly look around hoping nothing happens which would make me feel awkward,” says Kavitha, a marketing professional. At the same time she feels that it’s true there aren’t many places where people could get private. “I too feel like getting cosy with my boyfriend but then, there is this constant fear of what people might think,” she explained.
vipasha.rathore@gmail.com
Vipasha Rathore
At one point in time, we, human beings, were essentially animals, who have worked on instinct since ever. But over time, civilization has had its say, setting down rules of conduct which have made us think a lot before we follow or don’t follow what our instincts tell us now. Cosying up to your partner and showing how much you care with simple gestures like holding hands or kissing, is probably one of the most natural things to do, whether in public or not. But it is still one of those things which nobody can agree on, with everybody having a different take on it. Some may hate sharing their intimate moments in public, some may not have a better option while others may just be satisfying the exhibitionist within.
Silicon City does have a space crunch for youngsters — a problem faced by the majority of ‘old fashioned lovers’ who can be seen under trees and umbrellas in parks — a shortage of places where they can drown their selves in the company of their loved one, away from the roving public eye. Then again this is a city which has young professionals and students streaming in from all over the country and moving into their own places with their partners, which means that they have their own space. Here is what some Bangaloreans had to say.
aniruddha@epmltd.com
Aniruddha Chowdhury
Where it works .. .
In Latin America, PDA is quite acceptable, especially in post-dictatorship countries like Argentina. While all PDA was banned under the fascist junta, passionate kissing and heavy petting have since become not only common sights in all manner of public places from parks and nightclubs to sidewalks and even outside of banks. More even than a simple display of affection, it is a ‘patriotic act’, both due to the free republic having been restored and the affectionate nature which the people themselves consider an integral part of their Latin identity. To openly object to such a display there is generally seen as a sign of coldness, intolerance, or even simply envy.
And where it doesn’t
In South Africa it is against the law for anyone under the age of 16 to take part in any public displays of affection. This has led to large protests across the country by teenagers, culminating in Kiss-a-thons in public places across the country.