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Free Hugs: The Triumph of Love and Peace
AJ
One of the highlights of the past few weeks have been the Mangalore pub beating incident by the Shree Ram Sene activists. For those hiding under a rock, a bunch of goons physically assaulted girls who were simply enjoying themselves in a pub in Mangalore. All in the name of maintaining Indian culture and preventing the proliferation of Western Culture.
Soon after that, with the imminence of Valentine's Day and to gain more political mileage out of their actions, the group declared that they would "Marry Off" any couple found enjoying themselves.
This declaration probably had the exact opposite affect of their aim. The attack coupled with this declaration resulted in the kind of backlash, from the political to the student to the working people to even the autowallahs pledging support for the Valentine's day revelers.
Not just that, multiple groups sprung up overnight to protest against Shri Ram Sene, it's leader Pramod Muthalik and the moral police. The Pink Chaddi campaign, The Pub Bharo aandolan, the Walk for Love and the Hug Karo, Pub Bharo aandolan all decided to exercise their freedom and civil rights and protest against those who threaten it.
I got a chance to participate in the Hug Karo, Pub Bharo aandolan. It was organized mainly by the Blogaloreans (Bangalore Bloggers group). While there was no Pub Bharo, there was a lot of Hugging in the aandolan.
About 4 of us assembled initially at the corner of Brigade Road-MG Road at about 3 PM of Valentine's Day with posts saying:
- Free Hug
- Happy Valentine's Day
- Dear Daughter, Wish you a fear free society (Get well soon Mamu)
and similar messages.
As we stood there, in one of the busiest streets in Bangalore, people passed us by looking at us curiously but not venturing to show their support by giving or receiving a free hug.
A lot of the younger generation (read MY generation) eventually understood our purpose and came to us either to encourage us or to hug us.
(The initial Hug Karo group)
(The final group when more people had joined us out of enthusiasm)
Though we did not keep a steady count, I'm quite certain that our group gave out at least 50-70 hugs which considering the small group was a pretty good number. However, the entire time, all of us felt that people were hesitant to come for a hug, that they were skeptical of our motives and were simply embarrassed. But a lot of them also showed support, giving us thumbs up, coming and giving us tight hugs or general words of encouragement and praise. That kept us heartened and energised to go at it for close to 2-1/2 hours.
However, what was most important was that we touched so many people, put our point across to the so called moral police and all this in a peaceful process.
We also received media coverage from Deccan Chronicle, TV 9 and other independent journalists and photographers.
Some More pics (courtesy Sanjukta):
Finally, a group has collated various videos of of the protests in Bangalore for Valentine's day and against the Moral police. Visit their youtube channel to view the videos
Sanjukta
URL
February 15, 2009
07:15 AM
thanks for this nice article AJ. I really think we should keep doing these Hug campaign. I came across this article on TOI http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mind-over-Matter/Soul-Curry-Care-for-a-hug/articleshow/4029279.cms
where the author says, she had moist eyes reading about the Hug Karo campaign, she longed for a hug so much. :) Makes me proud of us Blogaloreans.
Aaman
URL
February 15, 2009
08:17 AM
India should go in for a Pink Revolution, in multiple dimensions
Aaman
URL
February 15, 2009
08:28 AM
India should go in for a Pink Revolution, in multiple dimensions
AJ
URL
February 15, 2009
09:21 AM
Hi Sanjukta,
Yes I read that and it is a very touching peace. That was my main motivation for joining the Free Hugs initiative.
I still remember a video on Free Hugs sent to me by a friend. I was so touched by the reactions of the people and just their need for physical warmth.
smallsquirrel
February 15, 2009
04:47 PM
hey AJ, good on you people... anything that people do, not matter how large or small, to combat the kind of terrorism waged by the SRS is valuable. kudos.
kerty
February 15, 2009
05:55 PM
Most of those people look so ucky. Who would want to hug them even if it is for free? No wonder they are lined up to get free hugs. You need to recruit few item girls and Bollywood types to make it news-worthy and hug-worthy. Better yet, stick to pink undies, at least pink undies look and sound sexy and glamorous, even if those undies may be sent by ucky people.
Aditi N
February 15, 2009
06:16 PM
There is a song on Youtube by A R Rahman called Jiye Se Jiya promoting the free hugs campaign. It is an awesome and catchy song and the video is nice too.
AJ: Nice article and representative of a beautiful, pure indomitable spirit that counters aggression with affection. If culture even needed policing then I would vote for this kind of heart-warming policing which promotes love, peace, tolerance and non-violence all of which a healthy pluralistic culture should ideally promote and I always thought ours did.
The "Wish you a fear free society" banners have the power to touch every part of the world. It made me happy to see all those friendly faces. I wish I was in Mumbai to start a similar drive.
I'm all about Jaadoo ki Jhappees (magical hugs ref: Munna Bhai) :)
SD
February 15, 2009
06:18 PM
Aaman: I second that! :)
AJ
URL
February 16, 2009
08:57 AM
Thanks all for the kind words.
@SmallSquirrel I agree. That is why it was still a significant initiative for me. At least I did something :)
@Kerty: Differing opionions.. The number of people who came for hugs was proof enough that even being "ucky" is not a bar to spread a message.
@Aditi: I've heard the a bit of the song not entirely. Thanks for your support. I really think the Free Hugs campaign is a significant one, even if highly underrated.
temporal
URL
February 16, 2009
11:24 AM
every effort to lower the heat...to increase tolerance...deserves praise...and from here...cyber jhuppis
tanay
URL
February 16, 2009
01:38 PM
aj, good initiative and great response from the public.
was reading an article recently,are hugs the new handshake and if you look at it, don't you feel it's rightly so.
AJ
URL
February 16, 2009
10:50 PM
Thanks Tanay. I feel that in India, a hug (at least among friends and close ones) has always been more popular and common.
It has always been the west that, mostly out of formality, preferred the hand shake.
But yes, also in the west, strangers are more likely to be comfortable in each other's company than in India where strangers are usually kept away from (well unless there is a spectacle to watch ;) )
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