When I was in school (late 1960s and
early 70s), I had never heard of Valentine’s Day. I studied in a village school
which had more than 2000 students. The boys and girls were meticulously kept
apart from each other in completely different blocks. They were not even
expected to look at each other. Our society in those days was so straitjacketed
especially in matters of sex and gender relationships. Love affairs belonged to
movies. And they usually ended as tragedies.
Why were
Indians so averse to love? I don’t know. We haven’t grown up much even now,
have we? Look at the kind of injunctions and instructions issued by our ruling
party regarding the Valentine’s Day. They went to the extent of declaring it
Cow Hug Day. Comedy has no limits in India. One of the leaders told us to hug
the cow really close because we will get oxygenated. Well, I hope he wasn’t mistaking
it with oxen or something.
India is a
country that produced a book like the Kama Sutra back in the 4th
century BCE or some time around that. Our kings and a lot of other powerful
people had many wives and concubines. There was even a tradition in the kingdom
of Patiala whereby the Maharaja would appear once a year before his subjects naked
except for a diamond breastplate, “his organ in full and glorious erection” [Freedom
at Midnight]. The king’s erectile performance was viewed as a temporal
manifestation of the Shivaling. The king’s erect penis was “supposed to be radiating
magic powers to drive evil spirits from the land.” [ibid]
Many of our
temples have glorified sexual unions in arts and sculptures, in music and
dances. Yet the simple displays of affection on a Valentine’s Day become taboo
here!
There’s
something seriously wrong with our perceptions and attitudes. The right wingers
of India need to get at least one thing right: what do they really believe in?
What do they really want? Personally, I am confused by their actions as well as
their rhetoric. I’m sure there are millions of other Indians who will agree
with me on this. Instead of going around playing moral police, these right
wingers need to spend time in reflection and learning so that they can come up
with some convincing creeds and deeds.
In the
meanwhile, Happy Valentine’s Day to those who plan to hug their real loves. Go
ahead and hug. Love is a great emotion. Express it. Experience it. Enjoy it.
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteJashodaben-ji will attest to the hollowness of 'Valentine' in life, I am sure... clearly her estranged (and even stranger) husband has no interest in romance. Prefers to be gopika, it seems... YAM xx
Our Man is a Romantic without romance!
DeleteIt is time to see the fun in the statements of jokers who are seemingly very serious and just enjoy..Variety is the spice of life.
ReplyDeleteI do laugh on hearing the statements of these clowns. But the country shouldn't be made such a laughing stock.
DeleteIn their minds power is directly proportional to hate.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly where the problem lies.
Delete