Valentine’s Day for me has always been a day that was marked with some time spent with all my friends. However, I never have given the day much thought and always found it quite zany to be around all the red balloons and confetti. However, I think it isn’t a bad idea if one were to get a taste of what it is like to be not able to celebrate even the zaniest of festivals.

In most countries in South Asia and the Middle East, people live under suppressive and repressive governments that see everything that is ‘Western’ as ‘Evil’. In fact, one cannot but be shocked at the ignorance and violence that runs through certain groups of people. Terming everything that is normal day-to-day life ‘Western’ is a tool that repressive governments and organizations use to control society and people.

Perhaps, the causes range not only from religion to repressive societies and families, but also is deeply rooted among these cultures that use power, domination and threat to control the masses. In the end, Valentine’s day becomes an effective tool for these ‘culture brigades’ to control and intimidate their own people.