This year the hullaballoo over Valentine’s Day in India got to such an extent that the manner in which the protest against celebrating the Valentines’ Day was shown left many gobsmacked.
Activists of Hindu Munnani conducted dog marriage to protest against Valentine Day celebrations in Chennai on Friday. The ‘marriage’ attended by 50 persons was led by its district convener P Rajaji at the Periyar statue, Dharmapuri-Tirupathur state highway. The wedding of the dogs was conducted in the presence of a priest amidst the chants of mantras. The garlanded ‘bride’ and ‘groom clad in colorful attire and adorned with flowers, were later taken out on a procession. A sumptuous lunch was served along with chicken and mutton to the ‘newlyweds.’
“We are not against true and genuine love. At the same time, we will not allow people, especially youths who will fall in obscene activities in public in the name of Valentine’s celebrations,” District convenor Hindu Munnani Rajaji said. “The youth should consider the sentiments of their parents and the public before indulging in such cheap activities in public in the name of love,”.
A few workers of Hindu Munnani at Udhagamandalam also performed the marriage of a goat with dog, to lodge their protest against celebrating the Valentines’ Day. Describing the celebrations as amounting to denigrating the culture and blindly following the culture of Western Nations, the workers made both the goat and dog exchange garlands in front of a temple here. Besides this couples celebrating Valentine’s Day were also beaten up at some places by the self-proclaimed guardians of Indian culture.
Activists belonging to the Hindu Maha Sabha also followed suit and organised an agitation against Valentine’s Day celebrations by performing the ‘marriage’ of two dogs at Nagercoil. One group started a movement to celebrate February 14 as ‘Worship Your Parents Day’.
After the expression of hatred for western culture here is a news from Ukraine where a similar attempt was made but with a different intention. A Ukrainian aquarium celebrated Valentine’s Day by staging a wedding for two dolphins who have been, reportedly, inseparable since they were born together in the dolphinarium two years ago. The aquarium director presided over the ceremony. The wedding shows the two dolphins, Tarzan and Eve, swimming up the aisle, exchanging rings and even signing a marriage certificate.