![\"india-valentines-day-protest-2009-2-14-9-4-45.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/123\/import\/assets_c\/2010\/02\/india-valentines-day-protest-2009-2-14-9-4-45-thumb-200x130-11550.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span>There are few things that get right-wing Hindu fundamentalists quite as rabid as the twang of cupid’s bow every year. In fact, on the foaming-at-the-mouth scale of outrage, Valentine’s Day is right up there with usurping temples, blaspheming deities, and suggesting that Pakistanis be invited to play on an Indian cricket team. <\/p>\n(To be fair, Hindus aren’t the only faith group who don’t <3 Valentine’s Day. Just Google “Muslim Valentine’s Day” for a sample.)<\/p>\n
What exactly about Feb 14th has got these vigilant guardians of Hindu purity — these are guys who make the Tea Party look like, um, a tea party — feeling so angry mob-ish? Is it the obscenely over-priced greeting cards? The traumatic effects of being subjected to Hugh Grant movies? The fact that effigy-burnings and Hindu pride rallies make awkward choices for a first-date? <\/p>\n
No, it turns out; its simply that Valentine’s Day is a Western imposition on pure Indian culture that corrupts the delicate morality of innocent Hindu boys and girls. <\/p>\n
Say what? The culture that authored the Kama Sutra is going to be corrupted by Hallmark and Godiva chocolates? I don’t buy it. <\/p>\n
And on a serious note, it is true that there are guys who will take But protesting Valentine’s Day? Mobilizing volunteers into “morality Armed with two priests and carrying ‘mangalsutra,’ the \nHmmm. Can there be a better way of expressing my love than marrying my But that’s the craziest, right? Oh how I wish it was. From the Asian News Network, this gem<\/a> And, what of the pink chaddis<\/i> (underwears) that he might receive, like last year, from youngsters in protest?<\/p>\n Undeterred, the Sene now proposes to dispatch saris and bangles as return gifts to all those who send pink chaddis to its chief.<\/p>\n In addition, the outfit plans to meet all hoteliers to discourage Last year, the Sene had hit the headlines when it attacked a Later, Sene activists sought to prevent youngsters from celebrating Hello? Sending pink underwear?! Sending back Will the madness stop? Probably not any time soon. As I’ve blogged I’ll take the cheesiest Hugh Grant flick over that brand of “Hinduism” any day. <\/p>\n “Roses are red, violets are blue,don’t even think about celebrating Valentine’s Day if you’re a Hindu…” There are few things that get right-wing Hindu fundamentalists quite as rabid as the twang of cupid’s bow every year. In fact, on the foaming-at-the-mouth scale of outrage, Valentine’s Day is right up there with usurping temples, blaspheming deities,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holidays-festivals","category-humor","category-in-the-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n![\"valentine-india-protest-2.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/123\/import\/assets_c\/2010\/02\/valentine-india-protest-2-thumb-150x212-11553.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span>Okay, so I agree that, couples can definitely go too far with PDA<\/a>
\naround this time of year. And I do feel that, after decades of
\nrepression, the pendulum may be swinging too far the other way: there’s
\nno denying that today’s Hindu youth have their collective hormones in
\nover-drive, thanks largely to an unrealistic and unhealthy obsession
\nwith Bollywood-scripted ideas of romance. And, yes, the greeting card
\ncompanies and restaurants and irresponsible manufacturers of
\ndangerously large stuffed animals are all jumping on the bandwagon,
\ncommercializing love to make a quick buck. <\/p>\n
\nadvantage of Valentine’s Day to justify what Indian people call
\n“eve-teasing<\/a>” (read: sexual harassment and assault) as innocent
\nflirting in the spirit of the holiday. Obviously, that should not be
\ntolerated — harassment is harassment, whether on February 14th or not.<\/p>\n
\npolice” that seek out couples and unleash holy hell on them? All in the
\nname of Hinduism?! <\/p>\n![\"valentine](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/123\/import\/assets_c\/2010\/02\/valentine%20day%20india%20Shiv%20Sena%20supporters%20burning%20cards-thumb-150x101-11556.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span>It gets even more absurd. Not only did protestors burn Valenine’s Day
\ncards in the streets. Not only did they the self-appointed morality
\nminders threaten to turn offending couples in to their parents (who,
\npresumably didn’t know that their kids were out on dates– casual
\ndating is still taboo among many conservative Hindus ). But at least
\nsome “activists”, including members of the controversial group Bajrang
\nDal, vowed to deliver what many consider the most severe “punishment”
\nof all. Reports the Times of India<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\ntraditional necklace worn by married Hindu women, along with other materials
\nlike vermilion, the Bajrang Dal activists would force lovers to tie the knot.
\nValientine’s Day is against Indian culture, said area coordinator of Bajrang Dal<\/span><\/font><\/a>
\nAmol Thackeray. He, however, clarified that the saffron wing is not against
\nlove. “If you love somebody, marry him or her. Can there be a better way of
\nexpressing your love than marrying your beloved,” explained Thackeray.
\n\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nbeloved? Maybe. How about a ceremony that didn’t include religious
\nfanatics screaming in my face and thugs armed with cricket bats
\nthreatening to beat me to a pulp? On the up side, the plot of the
\nIndian version of “How I Met Your Mother…” practically writes itself.<\/p>\n
\nabout a right-wing leader whose protests of Valentine’s Day are met
\nwith an interesting counter-protest: young people send him pink
\nunderwear. <\/p>\n\n
\nthem from holding or organising any celebration for the Valentine’s
\nDay, as “this is alien to Indian culture”.<\/p>\n
\nMangalore pub where several girls were hurt during the melee. There
\nwere complaints of misbehaviour as well against the outfit members for
\nwhich the Sene apologised later…<\/p>\n
\nValentine’s Day in parts of the state, leading to Muthalik’s office
\nreceiving several hundred pink chaddis as a mark of protest.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n![\"India-pink-undies-protest-001.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/123\/import\/assets_c\/2010\/02\/India-pink-undies-protest-001-thumb-150x90-11559.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nsaris and bangles? (I’m not sure if the message there is “Go get
\nmarried!” or if its more of a “Oh yeah, well I think you’re<\/i> a
\ngirl, so ha! And no backsies!”) Again, on the upside… this provides
\nyoung ladies the opportunity to get a new sari and bangles for the
\nprice of a measly pair of pink undies.<\/p>\n
\nabout before (here<\/a> and here<\/a>), Hinduism distinguishes between real love (prema<\/i>) and lust (kama<\/i>). But it also tells us about kama’s <\/i>kissing cousin, krodha<\/i> — unbridled and uncontrolled anger, which qickly turns to hatred and madness. \n<\/p>\n