Hindus, Muslims burn Valentine's Day cards in India

Reuters ^

[Alex Marko]

NEW DELHI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Hardline Hindu groups and radical Muslims burned Valentine's Day greeting cards on Tuesday and held protests across India against celebrating the festival of love, saying it was a Western import that spread immorality.

Saint Valentine's Day has become increasingly popular in India in recent years, a trend led by retailers who do healthy business selling heart-shaped balloons and fluffy teddy bears.

But the growing popularity of the day in officially secular, but mainly Hindu India has also sparked protests which have sometimes turned violent.

On Tuesday, protests were held in the capital New Delhi, some towns in the country's south and the only Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir, where an Islamic insurgency has raged since 1989.

About two dozen women separatists, veiled in black from head to toe, rummaged shops and burnt Valentine's Day cards in Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, witnesses said.

"Valentine's Day spreads immorality among the youth," Asiya Andrabi of the Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of the Muslim Faith), a group of women separatists, said in a statement.

"We appeal to our children to stay away from this western culture."

In Bangalore, India's technology capital, as well as Hubli town, both located in the southern state of Karnataka, groups of Hindu nationalists burnt a big heart-shaped card.

About 50 Hindu activists wearing holy saffron-coloured scarves held a noisy protest in a popular market near the Delhi University campus, a Reuters photographer said.

They burnt greeting cards which they were carrying and shouted "Down with Valentine's Day". (Additional reporting by Sheikh Mushtaq in SRINAGAR)

[RolandBurnam]

I'm highly offended by their disrespect for our traditions. They should be more tolerant. We should bomb the hell out of this country.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

I agree that the west has a lot of immorality, but I don't blame it on Valentine's Day, lol. This is just bizarre. Maybe I'm clueless about Valentine's Day because all of mine have been very innocent. :-)

[Fintan]

 

[livius]

I'm always amused by this, because as holidays go, Valentine's Day has got to be about the most inoffensive one on the block. Granted, it's super commercial, but how can people get enraged about candy hearts and fluffy stuffed animals?

[silverleaf]

Waiting for a photo of rabid peasants stomping on burning "good heart" Care Bears ...
Ham du l'allah!

[CarrotAndStick]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/V-day06/index3.htm

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

Methinks you took his post too seriously. :-)

[joesnuffy]

Mohamhead hates ------- (fill in the blank)...

An Islamic valentine card

[Hoodlum91]

That's awesome! Can I join in?

[CarrotAndStick]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1414851.cms


V-Day fever has Indian youth in grip

[ Tuesday, February 14, 2006 06:43:36 pm IANS ]


NEW DELHI: Love was in the air as twosomes thronged parks, restaurants and malls in major cities to celebrate Valentine's Day with roses, chocolates and sweet nothings under the stern watch of Hindu hardline groups who tried hard to mar the celebrations.

Lovers were everywhere - holding hands and cosying up in parks and open spaces, meeting in lounges, discotheques, pubs and even parking lots - as flower sellers made a killing with a single rose stalk going for as much as Rs 50 in some places.

It looked as if the Indian heart had wholeheartedly adopted this day as its very own.

"For me the day is too special, since I got my girlfriend on February 14 three years ago. It's a kind of love anniversary for both of us," a beaming Moses Phillip, a young executive in the capital, said.

In Mumbai, couples celebrated the day on a low-key keeping the Shiv Sena protests in mind.



"We will be watching a movie and maybe go to a good restaurant. The point is we need to spend time together. We do not have to exhibit it and invite trouble," said Amrit Mehta, an undergraduate student of economics in Mumbai.

There was a palpable sense of caution among youngsters, especially after the hard stand taken by the Shiv Sena, the Hindu rightwing party, against celebrating the day.

The police stepped up security to end the vandalism of card stores that accompanies the celebration every year. Elaborate security arrangements were made to protect gift shop owners and the general public.

In Hyderabad, the Hindu rightwing Bajrang Dal married off a couple to prove the point that marriage was the best way to celebrate love, but the pair had not been found celebrating the day.

However, in Kolkata, romance was very much in the air, as Hindu radicals did not attempt to smother the celebrations in Communist-ruled West Bengal.



While traditional spots like the sprawling Victoria Memorial garden, Nandan film complex and the Maidan areas were full of love birds expressing their inner feelings with empty nothings, the new joints like the vast City Centre shopping mall and cine-plex in Salt Lake were chock-a-block with the natty Generation Next crowd.

Valentine's Day greetings cards, many in Bengali, were selling very well, said shopkeepers despite the growing popularity and convenience of SMS greetings. Heart shaped balloons and candles were also selling well in City Centre.

In Indore town, activists of the radical Hindu Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were arrested on Tuesday before they could carry out their threat of marring Valentine's Day celebrations.

Reports reaching Madhya Pradesh state capital Bhopal said 35 activists of the two groups were taken into custody when they gathered at a prominent square armed with hockey sticks, rods and chains. They had intended to visit parks and restaurants to prevent couples from celebrating the day.

Security was upped in Bhopal too where the Bajrang Dal had formed 17 teams to ensure that couples don't celebrate the day. The group threatened to nab canoodling couples and hand them over to their parents. In Chandigarh, scores of police personnel kept a vigil on Tuesday to keep lovebirds in the city under check.



Some markets in the city's famous 'Geri route' (Geri means moving in circles), were full with the colour of love - red - with decorated shops and balloon-sellers doing brisk business. The youth had booked restaurants and discos for the evening for a date out with their valentines.

"With so much police around, who cannot think of love on the Geri route. It's better to let your hair down at the evening party," said Amrita, a second year arts student as she went around the route accompanied by friends in her car.

Barricades had been put up at nearly two dozen places all over the city to keep youngsters under check, especially while driving. The Shiv Sena in Kerala called for boycotting the celebrations, claiming that it is a Western culture and would breach family bonds in the state.

Sena leader M.S. Bhuvanachandran said the outfit had called for protests in Kochi. However, restaurant, cafeteria and discotheque owners in major cities were happy with the booming business on Tuesday.

"The partying on Valentine's Day is just getting bigger with each passing year. More and more people want to celebrate it. From young lovers to newly married couples all have been flooding our discotheque like never before," said Sunil Verma, of a leading south Delhi disco.



According to Verma, the youngsters were now slowly bringing their parents to join them.

"I have been celebrating Valentine's Day for the last five years with my boyfriend. While my parents were not very approving earlier, this year they are accompanying me for a special dinner in a five star hotel," said Nupur Sharma, a call centre executive in New Delhi.

Youths were quite upset with the protests by the Hindu radicals. "People should not interfere in such a lovely celebration. While trying to dampen the spirit of the celebration, activists of Bajrang Dal are behaving like anti-social elements," said Rajesh Pradhan, who came to Delhi's Lodhi Garden with his partner.

If young lovers were gung-ho about Valentine's Day, so were the newly weds.

"So what if we are not teenagers, we want to keep our love alive and what better occasion than Valentine's Day?" said Rubi Das. "For the last three days me and my husband were celebrating."

---

©Bennett, Coleman and Co., Ltd. Estd. 1838, in India.
All rights reserved.

[RolandBurnam]

I was totally joking... you know how the mooslimes get all jihad on everybody for anything, just thinking what if we started getting pissed and raising hell when our culture is attacked. interesting...

[Mcirrus]

Protesting love lol, what will they they do next protest against peace and human rights?

[kajingawd]

...love-love-love. Nothing you can do that can't be done, nothing you can say that can't be sung...

love-love-love

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Hardline Hindu groups and radical Muslims burned Valentine's Day greeting cards on Tuesday and held protests across India against celebrating the festival of love, saying it was a Western import that spread immorality. "

At 5 bucks a card? Bet the money came from the UN.

[HHKrepublican_2]

HOW DARE THEY INSULT THE SAINT VALENTINE OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!

Now is the time to take to the streets and burn their embassies like the peaceful religion we are.
/s

[CarrotAndStick]

http://loveishere.indiatimes.com/

[57Chevy]

I can not understand their lack of rspect to our hearts and our love of our females. Valentines is a day to show your love and respect for your spouse, friend or anyone you want to say "I love You". Burning valentine cards depict that you dont love anyone. Thats ok, some folks dont care about others. Should we riot or start burning down their embassy. No, americans are not animals. We still have logic and feelings.

[RichInOC]

Fellas, chill. Just admit it: You don't have girlfriends, do you? That's all right. We understand.

...want cookie?