KOCHI: The arrest of Rahul Pasupalan, a volunteer and coordinator of the Kiss of Love(KoL) movement in Kerala which celebrated its first anniversary recently, and his wife along with a batch of sex racket members by the Crime Branch officials and subsequent developments have betrayed the promises the movement offered.
It was in the forefront to bring a change and hope in the cultural sphere of Kerala, which saw many intolerant incidents, through a novel protest. Writer and activist Sarah Joseph told ‘Express’ that it was unfortunate that the organisers of the movement were arrested in connection with a sex racket case and it was a setback for the movement. “But, I don’t think the arrest would drain the energy the movement offered to the cultural sphere. It has already given rise to movements like beef festivals and the momentum it provided will go on,” she said.
An organiser of KoL said on condition of anonymity that the movement had done justice to the idea, evident from the pan-Indian response it had evoked. The recent development is a personal issue concerning some individuals and she refused to elaborate further.
Jaison Cooper, an activist who was arrested in connection with the KoL event in Kochi, said “I have been appearing before the courts even now after the police registered a case against seven members of the Purogamana Janathipathya Kootayma in connection with the event. He admitted that it was a shame for the movement and that people would view similar movements with suspicion.
Flesh Trade: Four Arrested
T’Puram: The Medical College police on Wednesday arrested four persons in connection with an online sex racket. The accused were identified as Deepu Dath, 37, and Prasanth, 35, of Muttathara and two women hailing from Kattakada and Kovalam. The flesh trade was carried out from a rented house at Gowrishapattom.
KSU Says Its Stand proved correct
Kochi: The KSU Ernakulam district committee, in a statement, said the stance it had taken during the “Kiss of Love” protest proved to be right. “From the beginning KSU is of the opinion that the campaign had the staunch support of sex-drug mafia. The recent developments have justified the same,” said Tito Antony, KSU Ernakulam district committee president.