With just a couple of hours left, that day of the year is back when the world is packed with red roses and exquisite couples, reminding lovelorn singles of the solitude they are bound by, yes it is February 14, Valentine's Day.
While the streets and marketplaces all around the world are filled with bouquets full of red roses, wine and merry wishes for the festival, in India, we get to witness something known as 'cupid patrol' undertaken by extremist groups.
Talking about extremist groups, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Shiv Sena and Sri Ram Sena have never valued India as a democratic country and also think that taking law in their hands is fundamental. They also consider themselves as the upholders of our glorious culture.
For several years now, these culture-spewing, self-righteous groups have been protesting against Valentine's Day as they believe that it celebrates western values and violates Indian tradition. Are our traditions that weak to get violated?
Misbehaving with couples, conducting forceful marriage and thrashing young lovers are the most popular agendas of these outfits.
So, if you are planning for a romantic stroll at the park, holding hands at a mall or even a date night, be sure to have a 'mangalsutra' or 'rakhi' with you as you may never know when it might come handy.
This year, the group has proposed a new objective, which is to film videos of couples who are seen hanging around during the day. Well, there goes your privacy, as these people always tend to have a close watch.
Now, filming anyone without their consent is not an offence in India. But it is done by these far-right groups because it is against our culture (again). All these offences are being committed in the name of culture, why?
We are educating the youth of our country on being progressive and to be independent, but here we are questioning the citizen's fundamental rights. In ancient India, women were given the choice to choose their husband (swayamvara), is that not a part of our culture?
Is this the developing India we are talking about? Where people who have the right to choose their partners are assaulted and harassed in the name of moral policing? I guess not. We shall wait and see what these fringe groups have to offer for this year's Valentine's Day.
