WTF Series: Episode 06: Vote Bank Considerations vs. Indian Culture on Valentine's Day

So, is the air heavy with rose scents enveloping you; does your wallet feel a tad bit lighter with the price of love paid; and is every living and non-living object painted pink and red yet?

No, no, don't get carried away with that hopeless sarcasm of mine. I love Valentine's day - the rush of the cupid hormone and going out of the way to make it special for you and your loved one - I will do it. I don't mind the gifts and the attention, who would?

But, you know what is the most interesting aspect of Valentine's Day in India? It is the clash of cultures. The love sick puppies versus the saffron brigade. Remember the pink chaddi campaign and the hug karo-pub bharo andolans started a couple of years back?
If you live in a state with these right wing extremists, forget going out on a date, you can't even be caught with your own sister or cousin! Lest, the saffron activists get your married or hand you over to the cops!

This has all been a recent phenomenon - the advertising of the commercial aspect of love that is glamorous and exciting (and expensive) by retail giants - you know, "if you love someone, tell them" (but with an Archies card, diamond ring, designer dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, and a candlelight dinner at Taj)...and the ridiculous protests by the RSS, Shiv Sena and other self appointed guardians of Indian culture. Both of them going stronger with every passing year! How stupid and dumb these so called assaults on "western culture" and preserving our tradition are, is obvious - however, what is not obvious if the frivolity and hypocrisy of their own beliefs and claims.

If certain media reports can be believed, this year will see a change. Given the context of impending elections in some states, certain right-wing activists, including Shiv Sena, MNS have decided to go easy on couples this 14th of February. Infact, not only have they decided to not disrupt V-day celebrations but also charm the voters by encouraging free spirit. See, this is the greatness of the largest democracy in the world - not even the "Indian culture" can come in the way of "Indian politics". 

Aaah, do I see a sigh of relief and a beaming pair of eyes - all set to cuddle up with your beloved in the park - hang on! If your state does not have elections coming up - you'd want to be more careful. VHP has sent out letters to pubs, bars, colleges etc. asking them not to encourage "vulgarity" and "immoral behavior" on the14th, which means - you cannot hold hands, hug, dance, drink, eat or indulge in any kind of contact with the opposite sex on V-day.
Wait, did you just say it was your sovereign right to freedom of speech and expression - yeah okay, but not on Valentines Day. We are purer-than-thou Indians; so, no, thank you, please. Remember, our culture teaches us that women are goddesses - they can't be fooled around with on the pretext of the holiness of St. Valentine!

Seriously, WTF.

Goons and moral policing

It has happened so many times, in so many places: Delhi, Meerut, Bangalore, Mangalore. The self-proclaimed moral police pick up broomsticks to clean the society.
And, this cleaning involves physical violence, lathi charges and indiscriminate abuse perpetrated against the "wrong-doers", the "immoral" souls and the "westernized" thought-bearers, who are primarily between the ages of 17-30; choose to club-hop, take a stroll on the beach with their friend, engage in some sort of intimacy in the public parks away from the prying eyes of their families, get a little over-mushy at the idea of Valentine's Day, sit a little too close in the theater playing the recent romantic flick, date in Mc Donald's and Cafe' Coffee Day and most importantly are normal human beings who get attracted to other human beings of the opposite sex (or the same sex) and want to be with them.

The images of the frenzied brutality by the likes of RSS, Bajrang Dal, BJP, Shiv Sena flashed on all the news channels for the past fortnight have left me aghast. In the name of Indian culture, the country is breeding a pedigree of barbarous goons. These ruffians slap a girl who is walking with her boyfriend but have the most number of illicit affairs possible. They proclaim on national media that a woman and a man should hold hands only if they are married but pretend blissful ignorance of what their kids are upto in the very same dating places. They want women to wear Indian clothes as any western outfit is the hallmark of a characterless woman, but they secretly lust after sleazily dressed women in all the C and D grade movies. Frustrated with themselves, perverted to the core and vicious in mind and spirit, they threaten to change the face of the modern India.

What is the difference between these law breakers and the much terrified Taliban? Both equal in mindless cruelty, total disregard for respect of the other, desecration of social, communal and national ethos and complete religious aberration. I don't care what party or god they belong to or beleive in; they surely do not deserve to be treated as human beings and the law enforcers of this country need to ensure they get the worst possible punishment.

What a woman or man drinks, wears, watches and with whom he/she goes out with or sleeps in with, as long as done with one's own individual freedom of choice is nobody's business. We are a free, sovereign country and we are adults; we can manage our liberty. We do not need moral policing by a set of b@#$%^&s with unenviable criminal records. Spare us please; do not fetter our freedom, our spirits.