Lets go ''shopping''

Ah! I rub my hands with glee for it is approaching that time of year again. Polish your tridents, spears, iron rods, crow bars, cricket bats or hockey sticks; don the saffron bandanas or head bands preferably with ''Om'' on it, stock up your supply of discarded old tyres and diesel oil; don't forget the book of matches and lets go "shopping''. All because it's soon Valentine's Day! I am unsure about the etymology of the verb ''to shop'' but in and around this time in many parts of India, it takes on hues similar to the act of ''working up a frenzy and having a jolly good smash up''

For those unaware of the interpretation of Valentine's Day in India, we like to celebrate what the day symbolises (i.e. - love, courtship & romance) by getting out onto the streets of our cities in frenzied mobs & smashing up shops, restaurants, bars who have the audacity to decorate their surroundings with despicable & immoral artefacts including cute pink hearts, heart shaped candy, cuddly soft toys & cards with warm expressions of love. And no, hanging pictures of Dr. Raj on your shop fronts won't help either. Although a garlanded life size cutout of Bal Thackeray, L.K Advani, Narendra Modi and a few of the RSS- Bajrang Dal chappies with tridents might hold you in good stead. Oh lotus flowers might help too. Valentine's Day here we come!