OYO: Pados ki Aunty in Disguise?
- OYO launches a new policy denying unmarried couples to stay in hotels.
- The policy is restricted to Meerut (as of now).
- According to reports, the policy has been implemented so as to align with the local moral & social sensibility.
- This new policy questions the Right to Privacy of unmarried couples.
Imagine if you go to book a hotel with your “unmarried” partner and you are denied simply on the grounds that you & your partner are not married. Seems fictional? Well, NO!
BREAKING NEWS: OYO (including the partner hotels) has rebranded its policy prohibiting unmarried couples from staying together in hotels.
While social media is flooded with memes and double-edged responses, this new policy raises a serious question mark on one of the most sidelined & neglected virtues in the Indian Society – “PRIVACY”.
Let's first understand what this policy actually is-
- As of now, the policy is only limited to Meerut. (Oyo operates 16 hotels in Meerut, according to its website)
- Oyo has given a directive to its partner hotels to implement this policy with immediate effect (by January 2025).
- According to various news outlets – “Based on the ground feedback, the company may expand this program to more cities.”
- Couples will be asked to present valid proof of their relationship at the time of check-in, including online bookings. OYO has also allowed discretion of the hotels to deny couple bookings based on their judgment. [Region Head, OYO North India’s Statement here]
DOES THIS POLICY SUGGEST “ABSTINENCE”?
Former CJI DY Chandrachud defines ‘Privacy’ as “the right to be left alone”.
(Even Oyo’s website states that-“There is no law in the country that prohibits unmarried couples from staying together or checking-into a hotel. However, checking-in a couple is at the discretion of the hotel owners / managers.” )
It is an open-secret that Oyo hotels are booked for a specific, well-known reason.
According to reports, OYO launched this to align with the local “morality”.
While even the largest hotel chain in India faces pressure to align with the so-called “Indian Culture” , will this new policy stop unmarried couples from engaging in sexual activities ?
This is not the first time a policy that goes widely against the public consensus has been introduced:
- Most internet servers in India banned Pornhub & related websites in 2018 but despite that, India ranks 3rd for porn consumption worldwide. People still continue to consume pornography in ways that could potentially risk their device and data.
- Alcohol is banned in Bihar but that did not stop the people from consuming it via life-threatening ways. People now die frequently by consuming methanol (poisonous alcohol).
While OYOs used to be the hideout for unmarried couples, now they are prone to explore baleful locations!
POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF THE POLICY:
We believe that there are always two sides of the same coin. So, here’s what people think about the somewhat-optimistic outcomes of this policy according to our mini-survey-
- The policy will help OYO to rebrand its image and establish itself as a family-friendly & pilgrimage-friendly hotel chain.
- It will ensure that OYO hotels are not used for illegal human trafficking or forced prostitution since a marriage certificate is required for checking-in into hotels.
THE CRUX-
Despite being amusing, the new policy raises a serious issue of “societal expectations” where two consenting, mature adults are denied to share a room because it seems to be jarring on the nerves of some aunties and uncles.
Disclaimer: Views are personal to the author, and doesn’t represent the organisation’s stance on the issue.
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