Hog Alingan
A gesture of endearment, holding each other firmly by a couple, while on a metro ride, and the attack on them by a few moral guardians of culture who protested the public display of affection has hogged the limelight in the last two days.
A state, known for its intolerance for attacks on personal liberty, promptly reacted with alacrity, many youths staging protests before the metro stations and office, organising walks. Students and youngsters appeared with banners decrying the assault on freedom of expression and offering a free ‘Alingan,’ embrace on trains and at various city spots. ‘Hog Alingan,’ meaning ‘let the embrace be,’ the banners proclaimed, even as guitars and bongos appeared to join in rhythm of the protest songs that were hurriedly penned. Social networks went berserk on the unthinkable aggression of an expression of love or friendship, in a city known for forward and unbridled thinking.
Hugging is common among mankind and animals to show affection. It existed even in Ramayana when Ram hugged Hanuman, upon the latter’s return from Sri Lanka, successfully meeting Sita. Krishna too hugged his poor friend Sudama. Hugging is the ultimate act of expression of love, affection, friendship or sympathy.
The two theories that exist on the origin of the word is that the verb “hug” could be related to the Old Norse word ‘hugga,’ which meant to comfort. The second theory is that the word is related to the German word ‘hegen’ which means to foster or cherish and meant to enclose with a hedge.
Hugging has been brought into focus by our globe-trotting PM Modi, who cast a spell on all male leaders he met by giving a generous hug. Though hugging is an expression used extensively in public places in most western countries, it still is a taboo in a few developing nations and Muslim nations.
I read with interest that Himba tribes in Namibia permit hugging in daylight hours during Ramadan if one has self-control and unaccompanied by libidinous urges. In our country with perplexing diversities, a boy in Kerala school hugged a girl for winning an art competition. He was promptly expelled from the school for the inadmissible public display. The Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights ordered his re-enrolment, but an appeal by the school in the High Court upheld the rustication of the boy.
A Free Hug Campaign, held every first Saturday of July until the first Saturday of the August, is a popular social movement, offering hugs to strangers as a random act of kindness, to make the disowned and discarded feel better.
Hugs to me are okay, as long they do not extend to palming and kissing in public. We may not have matured enough to understand the expressions as graceful as they are intended to
be.
With hugs to all.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
