In Kerala's Malappuram, sessions to rid girls of 'love scourge'

Kozhikode: It seems the moral guardians of Kerala are at it again. 'Love can be dangerous and sometimes a disease,' reminds the organisers of a 'spiritual' training programme scheduled to be held in Kottakkal, Malappuram district.

The organisers have requested girls aged 13 and above to attend the class so that they 'stay focused in studies' and would be able to avoid 'Poovalans' (guileful Casanova).

The training session, to be organised by SSM Institute of Human Development and Research, in Kottakkal on August 12, includes sessions like 'Chemistry of Love' by TA Salim Faisy; 'Everlasting enjoyment' by Rasheed Bakhavi Edappal; and 'Behavioural Modification' by VP Safvan Faisy.

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As the programme notice started doing rounds on social media, activists have come out against the pointed pieces of advice for women. They said all 'moral lessons' and 'stay-safe' advices were solely for women and never for men.

They sought to know why and how the organisers could term love as a pathological problem (Pranaya Rogam in Malayalam, meaning the scourge of love). However, some girls who had attended such sessions in the past termed it routine.

The organisers said the sessions were not like pre-marital classes and would help girls concentrate more on studies.

“At the one-day programme, they would be trained to set goals and concentrate on studies. The 'poovalan' problem was rife in this area. At the session, we would like to tell the girls what real love is. There are certain things that the girls studying in SSLC, Plus Two and degree course should be aware of and these classes are meant to create an awareness about their body and growth,” the organisers said.

CJ John, head of Psychiatry, Medical Trust Hospital, Kochi, said the organisers were perhaps using a pseudo-psychiatric template to reassign young women to conventional and orthodox roles.

"We live in an age where people have openly said that wearing jeans would cause infertility in women," Dr. Cherian said. He said the session would have been fine if the aim was empowerment of women.

"The standing, education and orientation of session-handlers are also a serious issue. The refrain is self-protection. It is a deceptive term which calls into question the actions of the 'victims' or the 'susceptible ones' alone," Dr Cherian added.