Bangalore: Ram Sene to Marry off Dating Couples on Valentine's Day
TNN
Bangalore, Feb 6: With `lasting love' as his mantra, Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik on Thursday said dating couples in Karnataka would be forced to tie the knot on Valentine's Day.
"Love is an emotional and bonding issue. I am not against love. But it should not be confined to one particular day, rather it should be expressed all through the year,'' Muthalik told reporters. Returning quickly to his agenda, he added: ``Valentine's Day is a Western concept and most often celebrated by Christians. We will try to stall the celebrations at any cost.''
The fuss over Valentine’s Day celebration by the self-styled moral police now appears to be getting on Bangalore’s nerves. Clearly unwilling to let themselves face a culture shock of sorts by spoilsports of the Sri Rama Sene who have threatened to ruin the celebrations, youth wings of many parties and student leaders have vowed to keep the city safe and peaceful on February 14.
Progressive voices said they would take on the Sene and not allow them to intimidate students. Who are these people to decide what others should do, they asked. On its part, the ruling BJP said though Valentine’s Day was not our culture, it would not oppose it. The government did not seem to have any new plan of action to counter Sene’s threat.
Valentine's Day paves the way for outraging the modesty of women, he claimed, adding that he has records to prove that 38 girls were raped in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata last year on this day. To register their protest, the Sene would submit a memorandum to governor Rameshwar Thakur, CM B S Yeddyurappa, home minister V S Acharya and Bangalore police commissioner Shankar Bidari, urging a ban on Valentine's Day.
Asked why the Sene was focusing on Valentine's Day, while rape, murders and exploitation of women is an everyday affair in the country, Muthalik said his organization was also working towards that issue. He claimed to have rehabilitated many women in distress. The Sene has been opposing Father's Day, Mother's Day and Friendship Day for the last decade, he said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Rashtriya Hindu Sena chief Pramod Mutalik went into a huddle with his band of supporters and declared war on what he called “anti-Indian” practices. The Sene asked the government, heads of educational institutions and the police to discourage this “Christian practice of celebrating Valentine’s Day’’.
Thwarting V-Day
- Sene to submit memorandum to government to ban celebrations
- Write letters to colleges, hotels and greeting card shop owners not to promote V-Day on their premises
- Ask colleges to take strict action against students who celebrate
- In Bangalore, to protest before restaurants in prime areas promoting V-Day
Wedding March
- Tie-or-die is still the Sri Rama Sene's slogan — firming up plans to marry off dating couples, they said it will have to be either the knot or the rakhi
- Sene has formed five teams comprising a number of members
- They will roam around Bangalore, holding a video camera and a turmeric stub
- On spotting young couples dating, they will be forced to tie the knot, not on the spot, but in a temple
- The couples would be taken to a sub-registrar's office to solemnize the marriage
- In case they are brothers and sisters, they will be forced to tie a rakhi
- However, the Sene is silent on married couples. ``In that case we cannot do anything,'' Muthalik said
Roses and Thorns
Muthalik's response to Renuka Chowdhury's comments on his bachelorhood and ignorance of love: "Being a bachelor does not mean that I do not know anything about love. I am born in a cultured family. I love my parents, sisters and brothers. I welcome her to Bangalore on February 14, as she intends to come here.''
However, he did not comment on whether he would accept a rose given by Renuka with sisterly affection, if she were to.
Dressing Down for Girls?
Girls are free to wear anything they like. I have never commented about the dress code.