Predictably, the debate over “pub culture” has now spilled over to the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
This is a day when young couples express their love for each other – but such romantic love is anathema to those who believe in “arranged marriages.”
As the old song goes:
Love and marriage,
Love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage…
But not in India.
The goon squads do not approve of love. They only approve of marriage. Of course, they are fully entitled to their views, and they can use their freedom of expression to convince others, but I am appalled by their threat to use force on those who do not subscribe to their Paleolithic thinking.
Here is the news report from Bangalore on what the chief goon of this fair city says is in store for all loving couples there. I quote:
“Those guys and girls exhibiting public display of affection on Valentine’s Day, beware. At a meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Sri Rama Sene leader Pramod Mutalik, Sene decided to arrange marriage between dating couples. For that, it has formed five teams. They will roam around Bangalore with a video camera and turmeric stub. If they find young couples dating, they will force them to wed on the spot. “The couples will be taken to a sub-registrar’s office to solemnise the marriage,’’ T S Vasanth Kumar Bhavani, Sene’s Bangalore city president, told TOI.”
In an interview available here, the chief goon is quoted as follows:
“We will not allow Valentine's Day celebration as it is not part of our culture. We will take the help of the police and college students to ensure that nobody celebrates Valentine's Day.”
This is dangerous. Not only will they use force, they will also use the force of The State to back them up. This means the goons control The State. We cannot expect the Rule of Law anymore. What do we do?
An old Hindi song says it all: Jab Pyaar Kiya Tho Darna Kya.
Don’t be afraid.
Fight.
Don’t let these goons dictate your lives.
As a wise man once wrote: “Liberty requires Courage. Free people stick their necks out.”
So stick your necks out. Walk hand in hand with you love. Display your affection in public. Don’t back down.
At stake is the very idea of modern India. If the battle is lost, you will have only one option left: Placing an ad in the matrimonial columns. That is, don’t love; just get married. Horrible.
So Fight for the Liberty to Love. Don’t allow these goons to dictate your lives.
We are citizens under a Terrorist State. How adventerous!
ReplyDeleteWhy, inspite of such terrorism from The State, is the youth so docile?
I mean, on the other hand, to counter goons like that we need a collective force. Is that regressive in any way?
Let us all sing on the streets of Bangalore and Karnataka
"Why don't we do it in the road
Why don't we do it in the road,
(No one will be watching us)
Why dont we do it in the road!"
My page after the attacks:
http://pranabksarkar.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-nation.html
Pranab, do you think you will have the courage to kiss your girlfriend openly on the road? And what will your mother say if you do? (By 'you' of course i mean young men in general). The problem is not only with some lunatic fringe that enforces its bizarre code on people, but the hypocrisy of men in general. Young men today might be less hypocritical than their fathers were, but basically they remain conservative, repressed and - worst of all - with little experience of women as friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion on men in India. I can say that I have experienced it around me among colleagues and friends... thats why the whole discussion.
ReplyDeleteTalking of mothers... I guess if she were to say anything of the sort (as you point out), I wouldn't hesitate to call her a goon. (is there a Gooness?)
But the point is not about kissing on the road. Its all about the right to individual freedom. What happens when a man kisses a woman when both feel engrossed into each other's company? Next door man is irked because he's got used to the stinking garbage van and needs a new problem to talk about...
Indian youth (male) would love to flirt with girls. But if his own sister want to enjoy same choice, her brother would replicate same goon like act. That's why nobody from our youth brgade challanges these goons in open. Anyway most pathetic is the fact that the state is an accomplice to it
ReplyDeleteShashank, that's my whole point. The double standards and sham individualism of the average male, (which includes brothers). And don't forget that this faceless entity called The State is composed of real people - almost entirely men. So we're back to square one. Maybe if men changed our The State (as Sauvik calls it) would change too.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteit seems you are educated with feminism; it's all about individualism. Female is as much an individual as male.
I don't disagree with existing split personality. At least I practice, my sister has right to all liberty that I enjoy as an individual.
Taking about kisses ;)
ReplyDeleteI kissed my girlfriend in Hindu College once, and the a moron sports teacher came up to us to say this is not allowed! He is a villagy who was also aganist Hindu College having a lady principal.
That apart, I practice kissing, hugging, all the rest of it whenever I feel like. I thought loving was a good thing :)
Satyajit,
ReplyDeleteGreat spirit. I am very happy to hear that!
I have meet many idiots who try to control their sisters lives, I am gonna buy a gun one of these day!