Nagpur: As Valentine’s Day nears, shop fronts fill with roses, but many young couples say public spaces feel less like places to celebrate and more like zones to navigate cautiously, amid fears of harassment by self-styled culture guardians.Across India, past years have seen viral incidents of couples being confronted, shamed, ink-smeared, or assaulted in the name of protecting culture or religious values. While Nagpur has largely avoided such flare-ups, youngsters told TOI the wider pattern has created an undercurrent of anxiety locally too, raising questions about how safe the city’s public spaces are for young people.“Everyone should be free to celebrate Valentine’s Day or not — it’s a personal choice,” said college student Akanksha Singh. “If someone doesn’t agree with it, that’s fine. But confronting or harassing people in public isn’t right. Public spaces should be safe for everyone as long as they’re not breaking any laws.”A media student described the issue as moral policing by supposedly self-righteous groups acting under the garb of protecting Indian culture, adding that even those who haven’t faced it directly often hesitate to celebrate openly due to fear of an incident.A young couple recalled an uncomfortable episode at a public garden last year. “We were just walking—not even holding hands. A group approached us and said we were giving the wrong impression to children. They overreacted,” the woman said. The couple decided not to argue and quietly left. “We didn’t want things to escalate,” her partner added.Many youngsters now plan Valentine’s Day with caution — choosing private cafés over parks, avoiding crowded spots, celebrating indoors, or consciously limiting public displays of affection to avoid attention.DCP Rushikesh Reddy told TOI police have stepped up patrolling at locations where such incidents are more likely. “We are identifying sensitive spots and increasing patrol presence there. Such groups are not above the law and have no legal authority to impose their views on others,” he said. Reddy added that preventive meetings have been held with leaders of certain organisations to ensure public order. “Our aim is prevention. We hope no such incidents occur, but if anyone takes the law into their hands, strict action will be taken against the miscreants,” he said.
