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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Hindu Group Issues Valentine’s Warning |
| 2004-02-13 |
| Hindu nationalists who claim they are fighting against Western cultural influence have threatened to shave young lovers’ heads and beat them if they exchange Valentine’s Day cards and gifts. Valentine’s Day, which falls on Saturday, has in recent years gained popularity in India -- a predominantly Hindu nation whose constitution guarantee freedom of religion. ``The faces of those not heeding our request will be blackened and their heads will be shaved,’’ Ved Prakash Sachchan, of the militant Hindu organization Bajrang Dal, said Thursday in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh state. ``We will not allow any foreign festival which is a violation of Indian culture.’’ On Wednesday, another Hindu hard-line group, the Shiv Sena, which is a part of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I think AP means his government waved bamboo sticks at a rally in Lucknow threatening to beat people who observe Valentine’s Day. Despite the threats, some people said they would not be dissuaded from celebrating Valentine’s Day. ``Such celebrations are not against Hinduism,’’ Gujarat University student Anish Patel Patel said. ``I will definitely celebrate Valentine’s Day along with my girlfriends.’’ |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #7 "they get all doped up and throw colourful paint all over each other" The Festival of Colours I witnessed this interesting celebration on the beach in Goa back in 2000 - and 5 Hindus were shot dead on the beach that day... seems they got a little rambunctious and accidentally splashed some Sikhs during the day. Penalty: death. To paraphrase a line from Full Metal Jacket, "I wanted to visit an ancient cultured land, and watch them kill each other..." |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-13 1:21:05 PM |
| #6 Sickening... I guess the Muslims have no monopoly on sharia-like b.s. |
| Posted by: Dar 2004-2-13 10:07:40 AM |
| #5 ... have threatened to shave young lovers’ heads and beat them ... Our choice on that day is either to do that or to go get jobs. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-2-13 8:20:45 AM |
| #4 University student Anish Patel Patel just might be a woman with friends, hence girlfriends |
| Posted by: Adriane 2004-2-13 1:49:41 AM |
| #3 ``We will not allow any foreign festival which is a violation of Indian culture.’’ What's that Indian festival where they get all doped up and throw colourful paint all over each other?? Valentine's day seems mild by comparison. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2004-2-13 1:33:21 AM |
| #2 Girlfriends plural? Methinks the "Hindu nationalists" won't be the one beating this one up. :-) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-2-13 12:54:26 AM |
| #1 Girlfriends? hehe...nice job man! ;) |
| Posted by: Valentine 2004-2-13 12:45:12 AM |