Village in Goa bans public kissing

A village in Goa has banned couples from kissing in public.

The legislation was passed unanimously by the village parliament of Salvador-de-Mundo this week, the Guardian reports.

The deputy village chief Reena Fernandes told AFP they had introduced the new rule after having had complaints from villagers about people kissing in public.

Local resident Savio Rebeiro told AFP: "We have serene beaches which attract tourists in a big way. Several times we saw couples acting indecently which irked us."

It's not only public kissing that's been banned however, the village have also ruled out public drinking and playing loud music won't be allowed either.

A banner (pictured above) displayed in public places in the village went viral this week, drawing the Goan community into the spotlight.

The text on the banner warned villagers and tourists against various activities, it read: "Commit no nuisance, visitors keep our village clean, drinking alcohol, smoking, loud music, kissing in public, nuisances in public are strictly prohibited here," NDTV reports.

Fernandes said: "We have adopted this resolution following complaints from villagers about couples kissing in public. This was the only way to put an end to it".

She added that the village had complained to the authorities but had no response, forcing them to take their own action.

The Directorate of Art and Culture in Goa recently banned jeans, sleeveless tops and informal dress in office environments, attracting yet more debate over its motives, First Post reports.

The University of Zimbabwe also put a kissing ban in place last year, with a letter circulated around the university stating those "caught in an intimate position" would be disciplined, the BBC reports.

The university administration has a reputation for putting rules into place without consulting the students, according to the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu).

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