KOCHI: The arrest of Kiss of Love (KoL)coordinator and his wife in Kerala in connection with an online sex racket case is expected to provide fresh ammunition for right wing forces in the state.
According to the data made public by National Crime Control Bureau for 2014, Kerala topped the list of ‘Offences Against the State’ in the country with as many as 72 instances of such crimes being reported.
The data reveals that of the 72 cases, 65 were offences promoting enmity between different groups (Sec 153A & 153B IPC) and 59 were treated as offences promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth and so on. Around 90 persons were arrested in connection with these cases during 2014.
The latest controversy over Education Minister Abdu Rabb’s statement against boys and girls sharing bench-space in higher education institutions and other controversies related to beef or moral policing show that the state is still in the grip of right wing forces.
Writer and activist Sarah Joseph said “the recent development will provide fresh ammunition to right wing groups in the state, but the situation will not be as bad as expected as there is enough space for dissent and assent in the cultural sphere of Kerala. “ The KoL protest was symbolic and the movement has lost its relevance, but the energy and hope it generated will remain and give rise to other such movements,” she said.
However, representatives of some right wing groups told ‘Express’ that it was anarchy on streets in the name of freedom of expression and the parents of the activists who took part in the event then admitted that it set a bad precedence.