It's Martyr’s, not Valentine's Day in Chennai

Lovers in Chennai where in for a shock with the police itself turning them away on Valentine’s Day from public places like Mareena and Basant Nagar beaches, their preferred rendezvous points.

“Youngsters who bunked classes and came in large numbers to the beach were turned away by the police thus spoiling the spirit of Valentine’s Day,” said Marshal John (name changed), one of the hundreds of disappointed cupids who were forced to return home.

Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, the Hindutwa Brigade observed Tuesday as Martyr’s Day thanks to an act of terrorism by Al Umma on the 1998 Valentine’s Day which claimed 50 lives in Coimbatore.

“Since that eventful day, we in Tamil Nadu observe every Valentine’s Day as Martyr’s Day in memory of those who were killed in serial bomb blasts by Al Umma,” Rama Gopalan, leader Hindu Munnani, told DNA.

While youth all over the world rejoice February 14 as Valentine’s Day by reasserting their love for each other, a pall of gloom pervades in Coimbatore. LK Advani, leader of the BJP had a providential escape on that fateful day in 1998 as the first of the bomb went off at RS Puram, less than 100 metres from where he was to address a mammoth election rally. Intelligence officials recall that Advani’s convoy of cars were held up in a traffic snarl and that saved him from the blast.

“Since then on every February 14, we observe prayer meetings in memory of those who lost their lives and were maimed by the bomb attacks. We are renewing our demands for setting up a memorial for these martyrs at Coimbatore,” said Arjun sampath, president, Hindu People’ Party, a Hindu outfit.

Sampath said that though Western commercial interests with the help of electronics media have unleashed a Valentine’s Day blitzkrieg, it has not made any impact on Tamil Nadu. “The sad memories of 1998 serial blasts come haunting regularly and those with a sense of nationalism always turn their face away from events like Valentine’s Day. We are not against love between two individuals but it is not something to be celebrated as a public show. There is divinity and serenity associated with love,” said Sampath.

BR Haran, a former regional manager of a fast moving consumer durable company, said Valentine’s Day was launched in Chennai sometime in mid 80s. “There was no Valentine’s  Day till the early 80s. I myself saw a Valentine’s Day card for the first time in 1987,” he said.

He said the mass murder of 50 precious lives in 1998 has led to some kind of aversion in the minds of youngsters in Coimbatore and Tamil Nadu towards the Lover’s Day festivities.