Will Valentine’s Day Soon be Wiped Out of Public Memory?

It is not surprising that the right-wing ruling class is usurping Valentine’s Day and stigmatising the celebration of love by Hindu-ising the day. The Directorate of Public Education of the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government has issued notices to schools stating that 14thFebruary be marked as “Matru-Pitru Diwas” (“Mother-Father Day”) to inculcate “Bharatiya Sanskriti” (“Indian culture”). 

This is not the first time a day meant to be commemorate some idea has been changed to demarcate another, more 'Indian', referant. Since 2015, 25th December — Christmas for most of the world — is officially recognised as “Good-Governance” Day in India. This was meant as an homage to veteran Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birthday. It is no coincidence that 6th December — Ambedkar Mahaparinirvanam Diwas — is observed by millions of Indians as a day to pay homage to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar; it is also the day chosen by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to demolish Babri Masjid in 1992. In the past years we have witnessed organisations like the Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) and others indulging in moral policing – often violent – against couples found in public spaces on Valentine’s day. This year we see the beginning of a different trend. The attack on this secular day of celebration comes from the ruling government through a government institution, the Directorate of Public Education, in the name of Matru-Pitru Diwas.

In February 2016, some national newspapers reported that Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena would not indulge in the usual violence and moral policing on Valentine’s Day. Lalmani Verma's  report states, “Bajrang Dal’s convener for UP and Uttarakhand, Surendra Mishra said that the 'acts that couples indulge in' on roads and at public places on Valentine’s Day is 'similar to nature of animals' and interfering with them is useless. 'It has been decided at the top level of the organisation that our workers will not disturb any couple any more', Mishra said. Bajrang Dal’s Awadh region convener, Rakesh Verma said the organisation was against western culture and hence the workers’ protest will remain confined to torching Valentine’s Day cards only 'but there will be no misbehaviour with any couple.'"

In 2015, just a year prior to these statements, Bajrang Dal had announced that it would solemnise the marriage of boys and girls found together in public places on Valentine’s Day. To the couples who did not agree, the Bajrang Dal karyakartas (workers) were supposed to make them leave the place after handing over images of Shiva and Parvathi, as well as Krishna and Radha, and advising them to express love like these gods. Even the Shiv Sena had taken a similar decision to not misbehave with couples last year: "'National head of Shiv Sena’s youth wing, Aditya Thackeray, has issued strict directions to not misbehave with any boy or girl on Valentine’s Day. He does not want assault or misbehaviour with youths. Shiv Sena is against western culture and we have communicated our message during past years. We are not going to assault any couple. If any worker will misbehave or assault any couple, he will be expelled from the party', said Anil Singh, UP head of Shiv Sena.” Not only has no leader of the RSS or any other right-wing group made any controversial statements regarding Valentine’s Day this year, newspapers too, quite surprisingly, are not full of of the usual heteronormative patriarchal advertisements surrounding this day. Like all other festivals, Valentine’s Day has been a means to make big profits for the markets and sexist commercials have lured the public into indulging in consumption. Has the cultural right-wing and the economic right-wing come to a consensus to wipe out Valentine’s Day celebrations from India?

While, on the one hand, it is the right-wing of this country that invites finance capital into India through neo-liberal policies, on the other hand, the clash between the cultural right-wing and the economic right-wing is most acute on the question of Valentine's Day. While the market wants to make a profit using this day of celebration, the celebration of love stands in the way of the construction of the Hindu Rashtra for the cultural right-wing. In the past years, it has taken the form of direct attacks. The Shiv Sena, for example, has attacked shops selling Valentine’s Day cards and has stood in the way of making profits. The popular mainstream media has stepped back from raising funds from its pages with long advertisements marked with red and pink to mark Valentine's Day. Instead, the newspapers are now printing expressions we can all tell our parents on Matru-Pitru Diwas. Here is a sample: "Without you there would be no me. It's as simple as that! I love you with all my heart. Happy Valentine's Day!" and "As my Mom and Dad …as my friend… as a Valentine… you're the best!". Maybe next year Prime Minister Modi will ask us to take selfies with our parents and post it on twitter!

It's true that the habit of displaying affection publicly is not common among Indians. Valentine’s Day is an enabler — one that offers an yearly opportunity and vocabulary through which one can express feelings of affection and attraction. Instead, Valentine’s Day has been made the scapegoat for our disturbingly regressive attitudes towards consensual adult relationships outside narrow social permissibility. Moral guardians are always ready to stand as gatekeepers of culture. This day of romance, celebrating individualistic, mutually respectful love, is attacked by those who wish to maintain the status quo. The question is, when do we fight for and celebrate the equality between the sexes?

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick.