Some Indians Disrupt Valentines Day

Sat Feb 12, 9:00 PM ET

BHOPAL, India (Reuters) - Hardline Hindus have vowed to disrupt Saint Valentine's Day (news - web sites) celebrations in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh, saying the Western love festival was a violation of India's traditional culture.

Reuters PhotoReuters Photo Reuters Photo

Saint Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, led by retailers selling red balloons, velvet pillows and teddy bears to mark the festival. But the growing popularity of the day in officially secular, but mainly Hindu, India has in recent years sparked countrywide protests which have sometimes turned violent. "We will oppose it tooth and nail because the concept of Valentine's Day celebrations has come from the West and through it an attempt is being made to spoil Indian culture," said Devendra Rawat, a member of the Bajrang Dal, on Saturday. "Our teams will visit all hotels and restaurants and stop Valentine's Day celebrations. The teams will also visit parks frequented by boys and girls." The Bajrang Dal said it had set up 16 teams of 25 activists each who would ensure that couples would not be able to celebrate the day in public in the state capital, Bhopal. Hardline groups have in the past made a bonfire of Valentine's Day cards and smashed shop windows to protest against what they describe as "cultural corruption" but that has not dampened the enthusiasm of youngsters who throng stores to buy Saint Valentine's Day gifts and cards. Groups like the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena are part of a growing tribe of cultural vigilantes in India opposed to increasing Westernisation. Such groups have in the past stopped the screening of a controversial film about a love affair between two women and also stopped a film on the plight of widows forced into prostitution, saying they denigrated India's ancient traditions.

thats not nice of them, i think ppl shud have the freedom to celebrate vday

yeah but i dont know y its such become such a big deal in india!! I mean they are just copying the west! My sister(who is india) her exams were postponed bcoz of Vday and me(in houston) have 2 midterms tomorrow and not even one american complained that its V-day!!!

This is so silly why are they being so narrowminded when the girls in bollywood do such cheap item numbers in films wearing disgusting clothes in vidoes where is there indian culture then isnt the Western culture evovled them then? these people are hypocrits and idiots like these make me so angry and annoyed mood spoilers😡 where india's trational culture gone when there are kissing scenes and bed scenes in movies novadays compare to before where actresses were so shy to even show faces out of there sarees those days were our culture our tradition which i was certainly infact every indian was proud of which is no longer been shown on tv.

Thnks for posting the artical😳.

ahh thats soo mean. but i guess no one can really stop them :(

watz up wit ppl...dey dun wanna celebr8 it den dun let otherz enjoy

u know i am proud to be an indian.

but this is one thing i hate abt it ,why do they exagreate everthing like this MORCHA AND STUFF.

its just valentine day for youngesters the only one reason to smile abt cause u know how indian eucation is so hard and students work hard for that and if they found something to celebrate wots wrong in it.

these ppl sucksssssssss.

i guess they r so free overthere and they don't have anything to do and they just start NAREBAZZI all time.

kashish

Originally posted by: Selina

Indian hardliners vow to disrupt Valentine's Day

Sat Feb 12, 9:00 PM ET

BHOPAL, India (Reuters) - Hardline Hindus have vowed to disrupt Saint Valentine's Day (news - web sites) celebrations in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh, saying the Western love festival was a violation of India's traditional culture.

Reuters PhotoReuters Photo Reuters Photo

Saint Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, led by retailers selling red balloons, velvet pillows and teddy bears to mark the festival. But the growing popularity of the day in officially secular, but mainly Hindu, India has in recent years sparked countrywide protests which have sometimes turned violent. "We will oppose it tooth and nail because the concept of Valentine's Day celebrations has come from the West and through it an attempt is being made to spoil Indian culture," said Devendra Rawat, a member of the Bajrang Dal, on Saturday. "Our teams will visit all hotels and restaurants and stop Valentine's Day celebrations. The teams will also visit parks frequented by boys and girls." The Bajrang Dal said it had set up 16 teams of 25 activists each who would ensure that couples would not be able to celebrate the day in public in the state capital, Bhopal. Hardline groups have in the past made a bonfire of Valentine's Day cards and smashed shop windows to protest against what they describe as "cultural corruption" but that has not dampened the enthusiasm of youngsters who throng stores to buy Saint Valentine's Day gifts and cards. Groups like the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena are part of a growing tribe of cultural vigilantes in India opposed to increasing Westernisation. Such groups have in the past stopped the screening of a controversial film about a love affair between two women and also stopped a film on the plight of widows forced into prostitution, saying they denigrated India's ancient traditions.

Originally posted by: Megha_Desai

This is so silly why are they being so narrowminded when the girls in bollywood do such cheap item numbers in films wearing disgusting clothes in vidoes where is there indian culture then isnt the Western culture evovled them then? these people are hypocrits and idiots like these make me so angry and annoyed mood spoilers😡 where india's trational culture gone when there are kissing scenes and bed scenes in movies novadays compare to before where actresses were so shy to even show faces out of there sarees those days were our culture our tradition which i was certainly infact every indian was proud of which is no longer been shown on tv.

Thnks for posting the artical😳.

I agree totally with ya.....this is sick....when they adopt western in other things...itz k.....no indian culture then....wht the heck ....i was just talking to my mom right now abt this....this is perfect definition of hypocrits....dont know y some ppl listen to these kinda things and follow them blindly.....some ppl need attention...and they do these kinda stuff and ppl just follow them w/o using their brain.....

And i agree with kkashish ....i am proud of india but this kinda thing make me go crazy.....