Moral policing on Valentine’s Day

Well, the self proclaimed moral police have already warned youngsters planning to celebrate the day to abstain from it. According to them it is Christian. How about Xmas then? Many of the Hindus celebrate Xmas. Now Karnataka’s BJP government has made it clear that they are not for the safety of the people but for ensuring they are “morally correct”.

We know what to expect on Valentine’s Day this year. The moral police are going to beat up young couples. Don’t be surprised if you hear that girls were molested or that people were stripped and paraded. Our country is moving towards that shame. Now its citizens have to celebrate in fear of the so called politicians. Let the CM make the state a place where people can live with out fear. However, it is far from the present situation, where the fence itself eats the crops (a phrase borrowed from Malayalam).

Is there a solution to this? The only way is to nip the tendency in the bud. Once these people know that they will be punished, they will not opt for this. Considering the pent up anger of the young population, I am sure these moral police will be at the receiving end this time.

Is this the freedom our ancestors fought for? I remember the song below, which we sang in school. Perhaps Tagore knew where “free” India was headed.

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
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Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by Thee to ever-widening thought and action -

Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.”