Valentine's Day

Sir, - Every right-thinking person will agree with your editorial (TheHindu, Feb. 15) that cultural policing whether by Mr. Bal Thackeray or anyone else is repugnant to a free society like ours, and should be resisted and defeated. However, I am afraid you are missing the woods for the trees, when you support the Valentine's Day no holds barred.

This practice came to be introduced in our society as an aftermath of globalisation and thanks to the aggressive propagation by commercial interests it has now engulfed all college campuses even in rural areas. Teenagers are forced willy- nilly to look for a partner from the opposite sex just for celebrating Valentine's Day, the poor among them find it difficult.

Popularisation of this practice is a veiled attempt to brainwash our younger generation to prefer the western society with its openness and liberal sexual mores to our tradition bound and restrictive society. Slogans on the valentine cards like ``practice kissing'' ``have a bubble bath together'', etc., are illustrative of this trend. The next stage will be subtle introduction of practices like dating, free sex, living together, etc. and the youth, thrilled from their experience of the Valentine's Day contact with the opposite sex, will easily succumb to it and will accept it without demur. With the globalisation getting accelerated, transformation of society on to western mould will also keep pace, and sooner than later, our culture, values, ethics and heritage will die a natural death.

We are not permitting western concept on nudity, obscenity or pornography here in the name of freedom as it is against our cultural ethos. Ipso facto, celebration of Valentine's Day which is the harbinger of a promiscuous society should be discouraged. It calls for a national debate and consensus and not physical intimidation and coercion.

M.K.B. Nambiar,

Palloor (Mahe)

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