The build-up to last year’s Valentine’s Day was like that of a Hindi movie — romance remained the consistent theme with smatterings of comedy, and the fight of good against evil (you can decide who’s who), not to forget the fact that it began with violence. But what began with the the makings of a blockbuster fizzled out soon.
We are talking about the Sri Rama Sene convenor Pramod Mutalik vs Pink Chaddi episode. This year he’s back, urging college principals and restaurants not to encourage Valentine’s Day celebrations. Threats include preventing the screening of Shah Rukh Khan’s film My Name is Khan.
Speaking to DNA, Nisha Susan, the brain behind the ‘Pink Chaddi’ campaign, is prepared for any trouble that may crop up again. “Should anything happen this year, the issue will be taken up. Currently, we are not planning anything as the issue was not specific to Valentine’s Day. It is pointless to repeat the same thing as it will be a gimmick. There will be some groups that are going to protest to this. They are just thundering bores and all this is nothing but diversionary politics.’’
Matters are far more stifling in Pune with police imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144 till February 15, which forbids the assembling of five or more persons or holding of public meetings. The ‘love curfew’, as it has come to be known, is being labelled by cops as an attempt to prevent untoward incidents, but people feel it is moral policing by the administration in the guise of maintaining law and order as the order also prohibits any ‘overt celebrations’ of Valentine’s Day.
Women’s rights and equal rights activists in the city are already speaking on behalf of the city’s youth, saying they should be left alone as there are other more important issues to be dealt with. Susan too feels problems like increasing rates of illiteracy in the districts, the lack of basic amenities and the safety of women should be given more attention. “Ask Mutalik to give his take on all these issues first,” she says.
Quoting the example of Fearless Karnataka, which was formed by various NGOs, collectives and individuals, co-founder of Blank Noise Jasmeen Patheja is confident that that while there is no plan of action to “help celebrate” Valentine’s Day, if there are assaults on women again, activist groups will come together to fight.
“Nobody can ban Valentine’s Day. No one individual can claim an Indian identity or ‘culture’; nor force it upon anybody else, and definitely not through force,fear or threat.”
Meanwhile, students feel the acts of protest are coming in the way of exercising their democratic rights. Also, this Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday, so students say that colleges have cannot have a say on the matter..
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