Why the Mumbai Police should focus on policing than 'moral policing'

Around a week back, the Indian government ordered internet service providers to block public access to a list of 857 websites that provided pornographic content. Taking a leaf out of that book, the Mumbai police seem to have banned any 'romantic' love which is not born out of marriage.

On Thursday afternoon, last week, police officials from Malwani police station in the western suburbs of Mumbai, conducted a raid on hotel rooms in Madh Island and Aksa, cracking down on all couples (around 50 people), who were charged for being 'publicly indecent' in the 'privacy of their hotel rooms'. 

A news report in Mid Day said that the couples were  booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act or PITA Act. Several of those picked up by the police were college students, who were asked to call their parents. The report states that while some were roughed up and slapped by the cops (men and women alike), the others were fined and charged for 'indecent behavior in public'.

While some who believe that sex outside of marriage is a taboo in a country like India, might applaud the initiative taken by this local police station, the story doesn't end here. This is definitely not the first time the Malwani police station has grabbed eyeballs with their 'good' work. 

What was tagged as the 'Mumbai hooch tragedy', that killed over 100 people and created a furore in the city a couple of months back, was due to lax policing of these Malwani police officials. Investigations into the episode, as per reports, suggested that officals were aware of the trade of illicit liquor, despite which they let culprits get away (if not actually helped them escape). 

Eight police officials were suspended after the hooch tragedy. 

Madh Island, Aksa and Malwani areas of Malad are also increasingly becoming hotspots of crime within the city. In the past year incidents of chain snatching, rape, road rage attacks and even a death within the police station has kept the Malwani police station under the scanner. To the police officials concerned however, none of these seem to be serious issues that require their attention.

On Thursday itself, while police officials were busy rounding up couples from the privacy of their hotel rooms, a woman was robbed of her gold chain right outside the Malwani police station. As per a TOI report, the north region of the city continues to remain the worst-affected area with regards to chain snatching. 

Despite the evident rise in 'actual' crimes in the city, it is not only sad but also a little funny when moral policing gains priority for an already overstretched police force.  

Sharing a room with someone you love is not a crime, even if you are not sanctified by the institution of marriage. Infact, share a room with whoever you please, for whatever purpose - as long as all participants are consensual, it cannot be treated as a crime. 

The Mumbai police - Malwani cops and otherwise, do have and should have other things to worry about, instead of trying to control perfectly consensual behaviour inside the four walls of a room. Unless, monitoring love-making was a crucial part of their oath taking process. Morever, every cop was once a college student too with their own personal needs and desires. 

Whether it is porn or consensual sex or other aspects of a rising young population, India is a developing country in every aspect and should remain that way. As institutions in authority like the police force, if they cannot contribute to that development because of a stunted mindset, it would do them good to not misplace their priorities. 

It also doesn't help that such standards of moral policing are only applied to smaller hotels while the city's five star hotels will escape scrutiny due to its potential to damage Mumbai's international city image. A clear class divide that gains legitimacy by selective application of the law.

Besides, couples in Mumbai - married and unmarried alike - need their privacy, keeping in mind space constraints and expanding families - a fact well documented and analysed over the past few decades.   

Dear police officials, even the government has partially revoked the porn ban, focusing on blocking only child pornography. Take another leaf out of their book maybe and focus on 'crimes' that actually need your attention.