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So what are you doing on the day? Going for date right? Aren't you watching the new tom hanks-Meg Ryan flick? No, I think I am going to be spending valentines at home this year. (Is alone implied??-not sure) Don't tell me!!!!!!!!!!!....................
 
Sounds like a conversation I had just the other day. But why has this day become so significant? I often see it circled by many on their calendars with red markers). Many of us see it as a day full of expectation, love and companionship and all of the other emotions in the world but none of us look another very important aspect of this celebration -the motivations behind it (excluding love, companionship and so on and so forth). The following piece deals with just that.

The phenomenon of Valentines Day could be clearly understood in the light of its many commercial underpinnings. The kind of revenues that are generated by the card companies, advertising agencies and even the local flowerwalla are enormous. They might not necessarily conform to the dreamy and surreal ideas of love that they are selling. They literally teach us through these mediums, the idea of love, relationships, how does a person express his or her love. Love is being packaged and unfortunately people like us are buying it.

These agents have been able to successfully build and propagate the myth of ideal love, which includes gifts, cards, and flowers as dire necessities for lovers which is quite paradoxical in view of the notion of love, being eternal and above all material considerations.

This particular argument can be dismissed by critics as one which is cynical and too practical. One a personal note, I do not feel the idea of valentines is lame or anachronistic but I certainly feel strongly about the way emotions like love and friendship have been successfully manipulated by these industrialists. It is certainly a great feeling to be loved and make your loved one feel special one a day singled out only for this but I refuse to accept these elements ruling our actions itself.

One of the other fallouts of this process of commercialization is the standardization of love. Capitalist forces under the garb of advertisements, movies, card companies which 'celebrate' love teach us the 'right' way of behaving in love and that explains the maddening rush at the local card shop and serpentine queues outside movie halls during this time.

So if what is being taught to us is indeed misleading how does one guard against these forces? The question still remains unanswered

So if these arguments really reason why this day so important and hyped up is I wonder why my stomach churns while sitting alone at home watching TV on this day? Any answers??

- Mansi Sharma