Is your relationship baffling and your togetherness is still uncertain but you are working on it? and you like to enjoy being in love and not get married yet? This Valentine’s Day, are you planning to run away from the concrete jungle with your lover and sit in a park, plucking blades of grass while talking everything and nothing to your sweetheart or, are you keen on planning to go take your boyfriend/girlfriend out to a coffee shop or a restaurant? Behold! You are running the risk of ending up getting forcefully married by Hindu extremists. The self proclaimed upholders of Indian (read Hindu) culture have always been opposing the celebration of Valentine’s Day in India.
The Hindu fundamentalist groups such as Sri Ram Sena, the radical wing of Shiv Sena, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti and Bhajrang Dal aggressively attack those who observe Valentine’s Day, just because they perceive it as a caustic influence of western culture on India (read Hindustan). Ironically, Hindu culture that these anti-V Day neo-fundamentalists are proud of is in fact full of eroticism. Some of the Hindu temples are full of sculptures illustrating foreplay and intercourse. As a matter of fact, Kama Sutra, the globally acclaimed one of its kind book that teaches the art of love making with illustration and erotic description, has principally been a part of Hindu culture. Moreover, according to Hindu mythology, Kamadeva or Manmadha (Indian Eros), the Hindu God of love makes couples fall in love by shooting arrows made of flowers from a bow made of sugarcane.
This emphasizes the fact that Indian mythology, much like Greek and Roman stories is based on basic Human emotions like love. ‘’Valentine’s Day is definitely un-Indian and we will not support celebrating it in any form’’ says an activist of Hindu Nationalist Movement. If asked why it is noxious to observe this day, no one of the rage driven group is likely to come up with a rational answer. ‘’It is just not Indian’’ is the only unjustifiable reason that they cite. ‘’Holding hands, exchanging gifts, showering kisses, showing affection in public and other ‘shameful’ acts are a disgrace to the Indian society and we are not going to let them degrade our rich culture’’ said an angry saffron fanatic. It is quite surprising that what so common back then has become a taboo and as society that used to be fairly open-minded is now drastically degrading.
What is Indian culture?
Neo-Fundamentalists fail to understand the fact that Indian society is an indefinable mélange of religions, cultures, lifestyles and traditions. India has predominantly been a Hindu dominant society where women, irrespective of religion, class, caste, creed are expected (read forced) to dress & behave modestly in the name of culture. Indian women have always been ‘chosen’ for marriage by men who consider their height, weight, color and above all, the money that she brings as dowry.
Is this what the Hindu fanatics are trying to uphold? ‘’Since Indian youth are celebrating Valentine’s Day by following western culture, it is resulting in rape and other atrocities’’, said a leader of maniac group in his press release on February 13 last year. ‘’Sale of contraceptives peaks on February 14 and it means that unmarried women are being subjected to persecution’’ said a layman holding a saffron flag from a mob. (He, who thinks is a savior of culture had obviously failed understand consensual premarital sex).
What is maltreatment?
Is violating basic human and constitutional rights by battering couples and forcefully getting them married not an indecent assault? Is girl infanticide, condemning her birth, raising her as if she is a burden to the family until she gets married, providing neither education nor basic facilities and confining her to the kitchen after marriage not victimizing her? Unsurprisingly, these mobsters are just a group of men trying to police the modern society by beating up women and no one has ever seen a woman being a part of this heinous act. Moreover, it is just women who are being victimized for observing Valentine’s Day for no man was ever beaten up for taking a girl out but it is the women who get punished for being out. In spite of the police warning that they would take strict action against those who take law into their hands, news of saffron outfits getting couples married on Valentine’s Day is becoming a yearly routine. Hindu conservatives are staunchly opposing the celebration of Valentine’s Day associating it with growing influence of western culture on Indian society and are campaigning against Christians (who introduced Valentine’s Day to Indians) whom they consider as outsiders. However this year, on an interesting note, no fuss has been made by Hindu nationalists, perhaps keeping the upcoming general elections and the percentage of young voters in mind.
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