Free for all: Stand by for some random acts of kindness

On a bright Wednesday afternoon last week, many visitors to Brigade Road were taken aback when they saw two young women standing on a corner holding a placard that said 'free hug' in big, bold letters.
Initially, most people were reluctant to take them up on the offer and walked past giving them quizzical looks. But when the duo explained why they were offering free hugs, most people responded positively and agreed to be hugged.Soon, a few others had joined them in dispensing free hugs, and the scene was transformed into one of joyful camaraderie.
A little bit of positivity never hurts, believe Nidhi Suresh and Malavika Nandakumar, who decided to enforce their plan on the spur of the moment. "It is a campaign to spread the message of love and the simple joys of life. It's a project to make someone's day,'' said Nidhi and Malavika.
The first year BA (communications) students of the Mount Carmel College are happy with the initial response to the campaign last week, when they had short but meaningful interactions with 50 people.
The Free Hugs Campaign is a global social movement involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places -- not in a sexual or offensive way but as a simple gesture that gives people a feeling of wellbeing.
"I was watching YouTube videos of similar 'free hugs' campaigns in different countries and I thought we should do it in Bangalore. I began the campaign about a month ago on Brigade Road with my friend Asim Siddiqui. We went to a bookstore on MG Road, asked them for a piece of cardboard, bought a marker and wrote the words 'Free Hug' and stood on a corner of Brigade road for nearly two hours. Believe it or not, nearly 50 people of all age groups hugged us. In fact, three people voluntarily joined us in the campaign,'' says Nidhi.
Nidhi and Malavika say despite reports of escalating street sexual harassment in Bangalore, they did not face any offensive comments or behavior. The only impediment came in the form of a policeman, who questioned their intentions. They changed their spot after that.
"Some people have asked us if our campaign is connected to the increasing incidents of violence and assault against women. The answer is no," said Malavika. Their Facebook page, "Free Hugs _ Bangalore", received 100 likes within two days.
The young women now plan to include more people in their campaign the next time they go out, and also plan to make a short video of the experience. "We plan to visit IT companies and jogging parks,'' they said.