Since its first tentative appearance on the cultural screen nearly two decades ago, Valentine's Day has become something of a flashpoint, revealing the conflict between spontaneous desires of people on the ground and cultural and social gatekeepers of any persuasion.

In the past, while the Shiv Sena was protesting it as anti-Indian, V-day cards were already available in languages such as Marathi and Gujarati. Later, when the Hindu Mahasabha threatened to make an honest couple out of any ishqbaaz people they saw, they were met with complete disregard and some mockery. Some incorporate the idea of Valentine's Day into already available traditions of love and eroticism — for instance, some years ago I met a gentleman from Chennai who had created a temple of Valentine Krishna. Cultural shifts follow their own rhythms and interventions are often most effective when they are also cultural rather than censorious.