Fervent anti-Valentines Day protests are witnessed annually in India, and this year was no exception. Hundreds of protests took place across the country on February 14th against the celebration of Valentines Day.

Valentines cards were burnt, slogans shouted, and in some cases, couples were beaten up who were found making shows of affection that the protestors deemed 'excessive or inappropriate'.

The protests were mostly organized by various groups. Several Hindu groups see Valentines Day as an unacceptable and vulgar import from the West, which 'pollutes' the cultural landscape of India. Muslim groups organized similar protests, decrying Valentines Day as 'un-Islamic', and ultra-leftist groups such as the communists also took to the streets against what they regarded as a 'symbol of Western capitalism and Imperialism'.

Valentines Day has been celebrated in India for many years, mainly by the wealthy and westernized urbanites. But fuelled by the MTV and Bollywood glitz, the festival has in recent years made greater inroads. Some see it as an import of degenerate western values into India, which will eventually be followed by other 'undesirable' aspects of Western life.