A usual evening at Tank Bund / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
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Public Display of Affection in Hyderabad
Intimacy in public spaces has always raised eyebrows in India. The act of love receives more flak than appreciation. This normal human behaviour is deeply stigmatised by society. The issue of PDA in Hyderabad is heavily kept in check by law enforcement agencies. The public stands profoundly divided.
Sachin Prasad
The newly-built promenade at Tank Bund in Hyderabad / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
It was a pleasant evening with an apt ambience. He gathered his courage and kissed his girlfriend. She felt warm and validated his kiss with a coy smile. 25-year-old Gillella Krishna Koushik was happy with his relationship. However, his moment of happiness did not last long. A group of men created a scene and morally policed Krishna over his PDA.
The smooth promenade adorned with the Victorian-style lights of National Highway-44, also known as the Tank Bund, attracts many people daily. It is a dream-like setting for couples with the right ambience to spend quality time, but only for those who do not think of going beyond chit-chat.
It is more complex and unpleasant for couples who display affection publicly or indulge in PDA, which could land them in trouble.
Krishna says, "It was nothing obscene. It was a warm gesture. It was just a kiss, and I was emotional. I did not do it around children. How is this inappropriate?"
He recalls that he has been to that place many times. It is sentimental to him because he proposed to his girlfriend there. He never imagined this place could turn into a nightmare for him.
Four to five men approached them and started heckling him first. Then they pulled his girlfriend into the fiasco. Things he had only read in newspapers and seen on television were now happening to him.
He says, "I wanted to escape the situation. I come from a lower-income family. Where can I go? I cannot afford high-end places. They cornered us and started cursing my girlfriend."
The fear of a mob-like situation gripped him. Krishna approached a woman for help, saying a group was heckling them. It was embarrassing for him and his girlfriend to face so many people for all the so-called wrong reasons.
He says, "I neither have money nor power. I was at the receiving end. If I had power or money, I would have confronted them. I am sorry I could not show courage and let it pass."
Dinesh Prajapati's ice cream stall near Hussainsagar Lake / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
Criticism and Pushback
Dinesh Prajapati is a 29-year-old vendor who sells ice creams at Tank Bund. After the pandemic lockdown was lifted, he moved from his native Meerut, UP, to Hyderabad in search of employment.
He is educated, he claims. "No business worked, so I started selling ice-creams. I am a graduate. I have a degree," he says.
He sets up his ice cream stall early evening and remains there till midnight. He sees young couples and families around.
He says, "I have seen couples start kissing in front of my stall. It is not good to see it in public. We are respectful people. I may be poor, but I have my moral values."
"As a gay couple, we do not face any such issues unless someone knows the status of our relationship. Once they figure it out, it is a whole different story. But yeah, until then, everything is fine."
Bala Goud, a security guard at Malkam Cheruvu, a government-maintained water body and park in Raidurgam, says he sometimes stops couples who indulge in PDA.
"My job is only to be here at the entrance. But when commands come from the top, I have to follow," he explains.
Usually, the park is open to all. On specific days such as public holidays or days when people tend to gather, extra caution is taken to avoid any mishap in the park. "Certain restrictions are imposed occasionally," he says, "so the place cannot be misused."
Two women stroll on the Numaish grounds / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
Sexuality as a Cloak of Invisibility
Rajesh (name changed) says, "As a gay couple, we do not face any such issues unless someone knows the status of our relationship. Once they figure it out, it is a whole different story. But yeah, until then, everything is fine."
They are not troubled by the people around them. They are never obstructed from holding hands or hugging each other. People assume a man is hugging another man. They perceive it as a friendly gesture and nothing romantic. "Heterosexual couples are more vulnerable as they are directly in the public eye," says Rajesh.
It is the assumed idea that only a heterosexual couple indulges in intimacy. This is because, for most people, the idea of a homosexual couple is so alien that they forget such a thing can exist. So it is heterosexual couples who must be more careful with the simpler forms of PDA like hand-holding or hugging. Of course, if kissing is seen, then homosexual couples face much worse consequences.
Preeti (name changed), a lesbian, says, "This is a patriarchy-driven action. It is an attempt to save the honour. This mindset is, from time to time, fueled by multiple agents to satisfy the ego. My mother is okay with me going with my girlfriend. She is oblivious to how I identify my sexuality. I wonder if she'll be okay if I tell her my truth."
Scope of Moral Policing
Couples feel they are under strict surveillance. "Hyderabad Police focuses more on 'moral policing', going after couples in open spaces like the long Necklace Road next to Hussain Sagar Lake," says Shweta Kurreli, a student of Nizam College.
Jakkula Manjula, Inspector of Police at Lake Police Station, says, "We aim to prevent public nuisance. We patrol the area day in and out, and anyone found is questioned instantly. If they are minors, we bring them to the police and call their parents to inform them about their whereabouts. We also counsel them. Public order must be maintained at all times."
"The fact that obscenity is not defined in the IPC is problematic. It leaves a lot of potential for the legislation to be abused."
Adults are usually questioned and asked to leave the place. Some people do not argue with police over their right to be at parks to avoid conflict, while some question back. She explained that the police book people who question them back and refuse to leave. They are generally booked for creating a public nuisance and obstructing police officials from discharging their duties.
Lake Police Station at Necklace Road / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
For society, the need to protect young women means moral policing in public spaces is necessary. Regarding the law, IPC Section 294, which broadly states that anyone who performs an obscene act in public shall be punished with imprisonment or fine, is often used in instances of PDA.
Atma Yadav, Professor of Law at the University of Delhi, says, "The fact that obscenity is not defined in the IPC is problematic. It leaves a lot of potential for the legislation to be abused. Indian law enforcing agencies and lower courts run the danger of misinterpreting ‘obscene acts' and tend to abuse them without a detailed description of what constitutes obscenity, or vulgar for that matter."
A couple holds hands while walking in a city park / Photograph by Sachin Prasad
A Feminist Perspective
It is very difficult to change the attitudes of those who practice moral policing. "You can't stop people from exerting influence over someone's perception or worry about those who try to create trouble for those who they think are doing something obnoxious," says Ravali Kavitha, a freelance photographer in her early 30s who previously worked in the IT sector as a content writer and visual designer for over a decade.
She has lived in various parts of the country as a working professional. According to her, Hyderabad is one of India's most developed cities, offering residents comfort, welfare, and new possibilities. The city fascinates its inhabitants with its unique charm and glory. Having resided in the city for eight years, she believes it to be a haven for women, at least among Indian cities.
She is trying to understand why some people believe PDAs are detrimental to society if the same people get overjoyed with their favourite celebrities' displays of public affection.
Society tends to subjugate women. They find it difficult to access public spaces for one reason or another at their own will or alone.
Navaneetha Mokkil, professor of Sexuality Studies at the Centre for Women's Studies, JNU, says, "Public shaming and calling names is a powerful action. Stigma comes attached. It is motivated by conservatism with an added stream of obscurantism. It adds to the reasons for the inaccessibility of public places to women. For women who do PDA, the risk of slut shaming is high. PDAs may be an obstacle for them to come out to the park or any public space."
Public Displays of Affection / Illustration from istock
To Whom Does This Place Belong?
Fatima Khatoon, a 62-year-old woman and resident of Ameerpet, says, "They make us uncomfortable. We do not have a problem with what they do, but it is about where they do it. This place belongs to everyone: children, parents, old and young. If they start this vulgarity, where would we go?"
Fatima often goes to public places every weekend with her family. Her son takes the whole family out. However, the only thing that bothers her is the so-called obnoxious behaviour of some people. She thinks it is shameful that her grandchildren see couples getting cosy in public. They never ask her any questions, but according to her, they observe and notice people holding hands, hugging, and kissing. "Holding hands is fine; anything beyond is unacceptable," she complains.
"Is PDA a necessary skill for this 21st-century generation to have or what?" she questions angrily. According to her, older couples do not indulge in PDAs; even if they do, it is not explicit but subtle. And that is commendable.
Public space is for everyone. In public places, the degree of discrimination is usually vastly reduced. But that is not the case in instances of PDA. Manvi Devi, Urban Project Manager at the GHMC, says, "Public space is not designed keeping an individual's needs in mind. It becomes a public issue if someone assumes it to be their personal space and demonstrates private affairs."
Photograph on home page from istock images
This article was published on 26 April, 2023.
Sachin Prasad is a journalist. He is passionate about storytelling and currently pursuing his Master's in Communication at the University of Hyderabad. prasad.sachin781@gmail.com
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