Edavanna residents warn against students' public displays of affection, students respond against moral policing

Malappuram: Edavanna, a town in Malappuram, Kerala, has become a hotbed of tension and controversy following a dispute over moral policing that has ignited a battle of flex boards between local residents and college students.

The conflict erupted on July 13 when a man recorded a video of a group of students waiting at a bus stop in Edavanna. In response to his actions, the students confronted the man, leading to alleged physical assault and the use of abusive language, according to a report published in The News Minute.

The incident took a new turn when one of the female students involved shared the video on social media, recounting the events that unfolded at the bus stop. According to her account, the man identified as Kareem not only captured photos and videos of the group without their consent but also depicted them in an unfavourable manner.

When she demanded the deletion of the content, the situation escalated, with the man reportedly resorting to violence against her brother and their friends. Despite filing a complaint with the police, the victim claimed that no action was taken, expressing her frustration with the societal attitudes that labelled their innocent bus stop encounter as immoral.

In response to the incident, a flex board was erected at the bus stop, displaying the message "A warning to the students." Attributed to the Edavanna Janakeeya Koottayma (Edavanna People's Committee), the board cautioned students against engaging in public displays of affection, suggesting that such activities should be confined to their homes after marriage. It also issued a warning of consequences for those who disregarded the message, indicating that local residents would handle them and inform their guardians if seen in the vicinity after 5 PM.

The students retaliated by erecting their own flex board, criticizing the moral policing committee for their unwarranted actions. Their board emphasized that no individual or society possessed the right to erect flex boards threatening students who were entitled to be in public spaces until 7 PM, highlighting that the concession time for students extended from 7 AM to 7 PM.

In response to the woman's complaint, Edavanna Police took action and arrested five individuals: Abdul Kareem, Jaffar, Mohammed Ali, Abdul Gafoor, and Jaseel. These individuals have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including punishment for voluntarily causing hurt, word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.

Jaffar, one of the arrested persons, holds a leadership position within the local Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].