PLAYING MORAL POLICE : Communist students in
Rajasthan openly join the right wing show
Washington Post
13 February 2007
Valentine's Day Massacre? Cupid Better Pack
Some Extra Arrows
If you thought Americans went crazy with their
Valentine's Day brew-ha-ha, wait 'till you hear
about the insanity which may go down in India's
Madhya Pradesh. According to reports, the right-wing
Hindu group Bajrang Dal is so opposed to Western
tradition that they are threatening to force
couples caught fooling around into on-the-spot
marriages. Rolling around town in their "vivah
rath (marriage chariot) manned by activists,"
they hope to discourage the celebration of Hallmark's
February festival through intimidation and shame.
Couples who refuse marriage will be forced to
"tie a rakhi (a thread on the wrist establishing
brother-sister relation)." Does that make
it incest?
Their efforts will be opposed by two women's
groups, who plan to arm themselves with batons
and mace (Lord Hanuman's weapon of choice) "to
take on those threatening to oppose Valentine's
Day." Gun-toting police will also be on
patrol to uphold people's right to smooch from
the marauding anti-Valentine patrols. Meanwhile,
the Congress' student wing, National Students'
Union of India, will take a more fragrant approach,
"offering roses to Bajrang Dal workers,"
to dissuade them from harassing young lovers.
With these opposing forces taking to the streets,
Cupid's holiday of candy hearts and cheesy cards
may degenerate into a Valentine's Day massacre.
o o o
The Hindu
Shiv Sena, SFI threaten to spoil V-day
Jaipur, Feb. 14 (PTI): Organisations affiliated
to the Shiv Sena and CPI(M) on Tuesday warned
against Valentine's Day celebrations, and said
they would "blacken the faces" of
those making public displays of affection.
Bharatiya Kamgar (Shiv Sena), Students' Federation
of India (CPI-M) and Sanskriti Bachao Samiti
said in separate statements they would not allow
couples to romance in public.
They threatened to "blacken the faces"
of young couples found diplaying their love
in public places and to burn Valentine's day
cards outside gift shops.
SFI national vice-president, Sanjay Madhav,
said "unsocial elements" will not
be allowed to "distort" Indian values,
while Kamgar leader Govind Khandelwal said a
demonstration would be organised outside the
District Collectorate today.
Sanskriti Bachao Samiti president, Amit Punia,
said six teams of youth would move around the
colleges and university campus to "detect
couples abusing public places."
