So last week we celebrated Valentine’s Day but in India, the Government had urged people to set aside the “western” traditions of Valentine’s Day and instead celebrate the occasion by cuddling up to the country’s sacred cows.
Cow Hug Day was the latest initiative by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government, led by prime minister, Narendra Modi, to make reverence of the cow a nationwide policy which it was claimed would bring “emotional richness” and “increase individual and collective happiness”.
Maybe this new designation was an attempt to appease members of the right-wing Hindu groups, including from Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, who’ve engaged in moral policing of women, attacking shops selling Valentine’s cards and decorations, and targeted couples in parks and restaurants, even forcing some to marry on the spot, in an attempt to dissuade others from celebrating the global event.
However after videos surfaced showing some people suffering injuries whilst trying to embrace cows, and another depicting a man being violently being hit by a cow as he tried to hug the animal, the Indian government has now cancelled the event without explanation.
But it’s not all sweetness and light here either as it seems that some unattached singletons have suggested that Valentine’s Day is a “microaggression” against single people and should be cancelled.
But if you’re free single and without a valentine, you could do worse than joining the month-long Match-Making Festival, which has been taking place for over 160 years in the Irish village of LISDOONVARNA, and has reportedly been responsible for many happy couplings, although hopefully not literally on the main strip.
In the second hour of today’s programme, Margaret Mills related details of a prison escape from Chelmsford prison which took place in February 1847.
Amazingly in spite of the time of year one of the miscreants was dressed in just his nightwear, which he had miraculously managed to replace by the time his was apprehended!
Listen again here to what Margaret had to say on this subject:-
Hope to see you again next week,
Scott
