Over the past few months, Kerala has made national headlines for increasing incidents of moral policing in the state. 

From colleges choking the freedom of students to nosy neighbours taking the law into their hands, moral policing has been spreading its ugly tentacles across the state. Two people who were harassed by these self-appointed guardians of "culture" even committed suicide, unable to bear the humiliation. 

Public parks, restaurants, cafes and even residential areas, have become fair game for such attacks.

As is only to be expected in a misogynistic and highly patriarchal society, women have been ridiculed for the clothes that they wear and the company that they keep. Even a pair of siblings - a brother and sister - did not escape censure. 

In an especially shocking instance, a man was stripped naked, tied to a pole and brutally assaulted. 

Police officers who are supposed to protect the public from such vigilantism and illegal policing have often proved to be perpetrators themselves.

Despite voices speaking up against these unacceptable acts, March has already seen one such incident, with members of the Shiv Sena chasing away youngsters who were spending time at Kochi's Marine Drive.

But these incidents are beyond party affiliations. The left, the right and everyone in the middle have indulged in moral policing at different points in time and it is the state which has had to hang its head in shame.