A video of a couple kissing at Kolkata’s Kalighat metro station platform has gone viral on social media. The video, which clearly shows the station’s name but not the date or time, has left the internet divided.
The now-viral video shows the couple kissing each other on the platform while other passengers walking on the same platform visibly find it difficult to ignore them.
The video then shows the name of the metro station, and other passengers, visibly elderly, who could be heard condemning the act.
While several social media users argue that public displays of affection like this are harmless and should not be condemned, others believe that such intimate moments should remain private.
“They are expressing their love. I find no nudity or vulgarity,” a user said, while another added, “They are not committing any crime. What’s wrong with this, can’t other people mind their own business?”
"Urinating in public places is allowed, but kissing is not? When acts of harassment and bribery can be overlooked, why can't this?" one of the users said.
One of the users said, “They might be in love, but such behaviour is not needed in public places.” Another user said, “We should maintain decency in public places, as there could be families with children there.”
Atanu Upadhyay, a daily metro commuter, said, “It falls within their human rights. Rather, I would say that the person who secretly made the video without their permission and spread it on social media has committed an offence. No individual's private moments should be videotaped like this without their consent.”
On the other hand, senior citizen Tanmay Sarkar disagreed, saying, “Kissing my loved one is a very private moment. It’s not fair to make such moments public. This is not fair.”
Special public prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee told, that the interpretation of obscenity in Indian law is evolving. “If something is accepted by contemporary society, it is no longer deemed obscene.”
"The definition of obscenity has totally been changed. Now, if anything is permitted by contemporary society, then it's not obscene. On that ground, kissing in a public place cannot always be termed as a criminal offence in a strict sense," Chatterjee said.
Criminal advocate Salim Rahman elaborated further, stating, “There are different types of kissing. If it’s a gesture of love and affection, it’s not a criminal offence. However, if it appears vulgar, complaints can be filed.”
Notably, the Kolkata Metro Rail Authority confirmed that they have not received any complaints about the incident.
