Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: The Indian government has urged citizens to set aside the “western” traditions of Valentine’s Day and instead celebrate the occasion by cuddling up with the country’s sacred cows.
In an appeal, February 14 has been declared Hug Day of Cow when citizens are encouraged to take the animals into an embrace, according to a report in The Guardian.
Cows are holy within the Hinduism religion in India and are considered sacred animals across India.
According to the Indian government statement, hugging a cow “could bring emotional richness” and “could raise our individual and collective happiness”.
Declared Hug Day of Cow on Valentine’s Day
The declared Hug Day of Cow is intended to offset the “dazzle of western civilization”, which the government said had come at the cost of the older traditions of India.
Over the past decade, as India’s economy has opened up, Valentine’s Day, which originated as a Christian feast day, has become an increasingly popular occasion among young citizens, boosted by vigorous mass marketing campaigns featuring bouquets of teddy bears, flowers, heart-shaped gifts, and flamboyant gestures.
But as a muscular form of Hindu nationalist politics has taken hold in the country, westernized traditions such as Valentine’s Day have increasingly drawn backlash for promoting “corrupt” values.
Rightwing vigilante groups, who have often engaged in the moral policing of girls, have attacked shops selling Valentine’s cards and red flowers and targeted young couples seen holding hands.
Much of the anti-Valentine’s rhetoric has been attacking girls, alleging that the holiday encourages females’ promiscuity or lewd behaviour.
Hug Day of Cow is the latest initiative by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, led by the Narendra Modi prime minister of India, to make reverence of the cow a national policy.
Most states in India ban the slaughter of cows, and selling and eating beef is prohibited in many places across the country, including the capital, Delhi.
