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Lovers demand some place for romancing in Kolkata

After the great trade union movement ushered in and sustained a Leftist government in West Bengal for twenty-five years, it is not uncommon to see people forming unions at the slightest pretext to highlight their woes.

However, the latest one - LOVE- takes the cake and the bakery.

LOVE - Lovers Organisation for Voluntary Exhibition - claims to safeguard the freedom to love and the right to privacy. It came into prominence when it called upon the Kolkata civic body to make provisions for a love zone for couples.

If the demand were to be ignored, it has threatened that its members would protest by romancing in front of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

The group has set 31st January as the deadline for acceding to their demand.

LOVE claims to help distressed couples and lovers not just with moral support but also counsel them, arrange marriages and help them gain social acceptability if their togetherness generated social censure.

Though not yet registered as a non-governmental organisation, LOVE has plans to generate social awareness on the need for a proper conjugal life.

"The idea is to bring in freedom and commitment between couples so that people do not indulge in unnatural sexual habits," says Rupak Manush, president of the organisation.

"We have lawyers, doctors, gynaecologists, sexologists to help couples seeking advice and to fight for their cause," he said.

Though a voluntary organisation, the organisation charges Rs 31 for registration and collects Rs seven as monthly membership fees.

More than 750 couples from all sections of society have already registered with LOVE with being in the college-going age group.

Single members are not welcome.

However, the members do not seem to have any illusions about what the group can achieve.

On condition of anonymity, a couple confessed that the conservative Bengali society will not accept them or their group.

In fact, most of the college-going youngsters are not ready to earn the displeasure of their parents by coming out in the open about their affiliations.

"Our basic idea is to shed this inhibition. Why do we consider love forbidden? We are not promoting cheap sexuality as the media has been portraying us. Rather, we are here to safeguard the interests and wishes of the young couples," said Chaitali Banerjee, a member.

Though the group is against unhealthy sex practices, homosexuality, alcoholism, pre-marital sex, they do not oppose kissing and hugging.

They claim that they would be holding seminars and workshops to create awareness about the practice of true love although they failed to elucidate on the specifics.

The group intends to hold a love letter contest later this week to promote the display of love through words. It will be followed by a love and sex fair.

The group's wish list includes a separate recreation park for romancing and a stringent law POLO - Protection of Love Ordinance, on the lines of the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO).

Armed with a list of their demands, the organisation members are meeting all persons in authority before taking to the streets once their 31st January deadline expires.

"None our politicians or any other organisation has ever thought of imposing a law to curb harassment of lovers and young couples who want to spend some time together," Manush said.

Ironically, one of their demands is to have only married persons as ministers on the grounds that bachelors do not possess the maturity to administer society.

Though it may appear like a trivial issue, the organisation has managed to make society get up and take notice of their demands.

"We intend to look into their proposal but within the confines of our cultural heritage," was Kokata Mayor Subroto Banerjee's comment after the organisation's members demonstrated peacefully on 3rd January and submitted their proposal for a separate love zone in the city for romancing couples.

However, not everyone is so diplomatic about their reactions and despite its healthy ideas, the group only garnered criticism from parents and elders who intend to protest if at all its demands are conceded.

"We cannot tolerate this indecency. We have our own norms and do not want our children to be immoral," said an irritated Hidayananda Gupta, mayor-in-council member for parks and Gardens.

"The matter is pending before the mayor. However, we will oppose any move to demarcate areas for romancing if the issue comes before our department for consideration," he said.

Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what the 'romancing protest' scheduled after the 31st January deadline will be.

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