Valentine’s Day – harming Indian culture? Let’s get a bit serious here. My pseudo-socialist and ultra-nationalist thinking a few years ago would have vehemently opposed the day. Not anymore. I am getting a bit more pragmatic as I started reaping the benefits of a liberalized economy.
Indian (that is Bharathiya) culture had no equivalent for such a day to express one’s love and affection and so what is the harm that we are bothered about? Well, does one need a DAY to express love is a stupid argument, and in that case do we need Independence Day to express our patriotism or a Dushera to pray the almighty?
Why this day was not celebrated with such fervor a decade back was because in a cash-crunched non-liberalized economy many of us could not think beyond basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. It is when one is happy about the basic needs will one move to other needs of life like love, affection and so on. Probably India should aim at making everyone celebrate the day by say 2020 (aligning with APJ Abdul Kalam’s vision). That would be the best parameter to determine how many Indians have sufficient basic needs.
And one has all the sovereignty to or not to celebrate this particular day. Let the florist, the card seller, the ribbon seller, the cosmetics seller, the Baristas, the taxi wallahs, the balloon hawker make some extra buck on the day. Let this day encourage a consumerist culture. Let the economy boom.
Those who do not want to celebrate/spend will only get wiser and the spend thrifts don’t get any less wise either.
Hail the Valentine’s Day!
