Anybody who goes for a stroll in the few public gardens of our large cities will have faced this phenomenon. Hormone charged young couples “hiding” behind bushes and the fake concrete-wood machaans and other structures, satisfying their carnal instincts. Most private of acts being carried out in public spaces. I would like to call it a nuisance. But I hesitate. What I see in it is a uniquely Indian phenomenon.
Most of us would agree that as a society we have relegated sex, both the act and any other expression of it, to the most private of realms. So private are we about it that we would like to deny its existence and most young couples blush at the mention of having children as it implies that they have committed “the act”. But paradoxically, our youth is forced to take this very private act to the most public of places- our gardens, historical tourist spots, cinema halls and corners of restaurants.
Perhaps the main reason for this paradox lies in the cramped housing situation in most cities and complete lack of privacy in homes as a result. A youth cannot (unlike in the West) bring a girlfriend home and spend some “cozy” time with her in his room. Even newly married and older couples rarely have rooms to themselves and are forced to seek out the anonymity of public places to spend some intimate time with each other.
So whether it be Nehru Garden near Delhi University or the open façade of Marine drive, when our youth makes out in a public place they may not have the blanket of privacy but have the cover and comfort of anonymity. You see it brings up the age old issue- does a tree in the forest really fall if no one hears it falling. Just something to think about in the most populous nation of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment