Shilpa Shetty looked flattered and girls in India may have wished that they were in the actress' shoes when Richard Gere landed pecks repeatedly on her cheeks on Sunday reinforced by a hug.

But by protesting against this, the stalwarts of the so called ‘Indian culture' have tried to convince the world that people in India do not like kissing and hugging.

Should one ask whether the baby boom that threatens India into becoming the most populous nation in the world, has really just happened by magic.

Gere's impromptu hug and kiss, that had Shilpa breaking out in a huge grin, has raised the hackles of fans who state that the embrace is tantamount to ‘vulgarity' for the conservative Indian society.

They are demanding that the Hollywood star apologize not only to Shilpa, but also the entire Indian nation.

Shouldn't these protesters also demand that Khajuraho and Konarak, the group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculpture, be banned for tourists?

And ban the circulation of the world's paramount book on sex, The Kamasutra?

Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty were on the stage raise AIDS awareness in a country where the as-yet incurable HIV virus is spreading faster than any other place on the planet thanks to little or no knowledge about the dangers of unprotected sex, as long as Indian sensibilities remain untouched.

Or are the protesters just envious that Richard Gere was successful in getting to kiss and hug Shilpa, which they themselves would like to do if they get a chance. At least in private.