Moral vigilantes spoil Valentine Day parties in Odisha

Rourkela: A rightwing Hindu group spread fear among couples celebrating Valentine’s Day in an eastern Indian town through moral policing.

The members of Bajrang Dal (the party of the strong and stout) on February 14 raided parts, restaurants, temples and other localities of Rourkela, a steel city some 340 km north of the Odisha capital of Bhubaneswar.

Armed with saffron flags and sticks the Hindu zealots looked for young couples at Indira Gandhi Park, Jubilee Park, Nehru Park, various temples, restaurants and isolated areas. They also shouted slogans against Valentine’s Day.

The moral vigilantes have created fear among unmarried couples by publicly humiliating them for the past several years.

Earlier on February, the local unit of another Hindu outfit, Shri Yoga Vedant Seva Samit, organized “Matri Pitri Pujan” (worship of parents) for young children to counter what they called onslaught of cultural erosion from western forces. About 1,000 parents with their children participated in the program. The group has organized the program for more than a decade to counter Valentine’s Day.