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| Sunday, 17 February 2002 |
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This year's celebrations under heavy fire: Buddhist clergy wants Valentine Day banned by Hana Ibrahim and Vimukthi Fernando Valentine's Day, celebrated with extra commercial vigour this year, has come under criticism from several quarters, especially from the Buddhist clergy, who are poised to launch an anti-Valentine agitation next week, urging it to be completely banned henceforth. Meanwhile, the Catholic clergy has also called for a critical evaluation of the celebrations. Muruthetuwe Ananda Thera, president of a number of organisations including the Nurses Union' and the Teachers' Union, has called Valentine's Day celebrations an alien concept and warned that it would destroy the Sri Lankan culture. Echoing the views expressed by the Mahanayakes of the Three Sects and the Minster of Justice and Buddha Sasana, Ananda Thera urged that such events be restricted, lest Sri Lanka too would end up like a Western country. He also revealed that a large number of the Buddhist clergy were planning an anti-Valentine agitation to make the government aware of the dangers of such an event. Ananda Thera said that had nothing against young people having fun and frolic, but expressed concern about the growing popularity of 'lover's day' and added that such events would erode vital aspects of the Sri Lankan culture including respect for elders, customs, traditions and even discipline. Early last week, the Mahanayakes of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siyam Maha Nikaya, the Amarapura Nikaya and the Ramanna Nikaya requested President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to take urgent steps to stop the degradation of Sri Lankan culture which had helped citizens maintain mental and spiritual balance befitting a human society for 2500 years. They charged that events like Valentine's Day was poisoning the minds of the youth. Their views were echoed by the Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana, W.J.M. Lokubandara, who severely criticised the 'obnoxious western culture', and said that he was against the unwanted commercialisation of Valentine's Day. These sentiments were repeated by Fr. Tony Martin, National Director Pontifical Mission Society, who despite claiming that there was value in what the Buddhist clergy had said in calling for the event to be banned, asked that a critical evaluation of the commercialisation of Valentine's Day be conducted. Stressing on the need to remove commercialisation of Valentine's Day celebrations, he said that it was deplorable that genuine simple love had been brought down to the level of getting people to shake their bodies on dance floors. In defence of Valentine's Day, Fr. Martin said that it had various positive aspects, specifically in promoting harmony and love. Pure love, he said, was a good thing which reminded us that God is love, but pointed out that the concept of love had been degraded and put to commercial use. He lamented that people were being deceived by advertisers who capitalised something that was sacred, and said that the present day Valentine celebration was devoid of our cultural values. |
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