THERE’s a story that Reuters filed from Bangkok today about how a section of the teenage girls in Thailand think Valentine’s day is a great time to lose their virginity. And, how police is going all out to not let them have the cake and eat it too.
You do a search for the poll and you find several reports on it none of them encouraging about the state of Thai youths. The number of respondents vary from one report to another. But all of them are agreed upon the findings: one out of 10 youth admitted to having sex with strangers they met on the Internet.
Last Sunday I was watching a programme on TV (Vijay TV) that had a debate on whether or not there should be opposition to youths celebrating Valentine’s Day. The anchor put the audience and a section of the youth on one side and invited a local Tamil group’s leader to present his views. The man, clad in white dhoti and matching shirt, waved sportingly at the other side but made his point that he and his organisation condemned the gross levels of indecency that prevails in the name of love. Why should there be a day to celebrate love? Is it love or lust that’s toasted upon that day, he raised too many questions. One youth kept saying in defense that a certain saint had given his life for love and hence there was nothing wrong in celebrating the day? Weird explanation, I thought. He didn’t even know who the saint was!
That brings us to this topic: What on earth is Valentine’s day? Why is it celebrated? What were its origins? If you have, like me, wanted to know the truth then there you go. Check out this link and make your own conclusions. On a closing note I must say this: If the Tamil group leader knew these facts, he would have been been able to present his views strongly with more substance than just heat and fury.
