Another Valentine’s Day is here, and love is again thick in the air. The origins of an ancient pagan Roman festival, given various interpretations down the ages, are shrouded in the mists of time — but what modern tradition offers people worldwide is an annual event celebrating love.

The day may have little religious significance left, but so slick has been its marketing that Valentine’s is celebrated universally with lovers expressing their innermost feelings. Lovers in India may have reason to celebrate with renewed vigour this year as the dark forces of “moral policing” have decided not to crack down on lovestruck couples as it only fetched them negative publicity in the past.
Fringe right-wing groups opposed to public displays of affection may still cause some ripples, but young people need not fear the sort of frenzied protests seen a few years back when for some Valentine’s became a symbol of hate. For a country that takes pride in the erotic content of its famous ancient texts, a little PDA on just one day shouldn’t really hurt.
Our people have also shown an uncanny ability to Indianise many Western concepts to suit local customs and culture. It is a sign of our society’s maturity that a certain tolerance is seen nowadays in coming to terms with the manner in which new generations are adapting to foreign influences such as the celebration of Valentine’s Day. As the saying goes, a little love can go a long way in making life lively.