MANGALURU: Over the years, incidents of vigilantism have left a mark on the city’s ability to openly celebrate Valentine’s Day.“People here are a little more conservative as opposed to those in other cities like Mumbai. Restaurants refrain from decorating their premises for the event,” said Antony from Trattoria.
While many restaurants refrain from displaying a thematic ambience, some have gone ahead anyway with buffets and special offers for visitors on the day of love. “However, to be on the safer side, no place has mentioned ‘couple’,” said food blogger Laxmi Shenoy. There is an unwritten rule, and fear that no one wants to talk about, she added.
While some couples claimed to be wary about the vigilantes, others claimed to be afraid of the cops.
There has been a severe dent in V-Day celebrations after the recent incident in Pilikula where girls were beaten up in the presence of the cops, said Sequeira, a florist in the city. After four years, the Sequeiras have decided to revive Valentine’s Day decorations in their shop.
“People earlier bought larger bouquets worth Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. Now we have reduced the production of bouquets to 25%. People take individual roses now. Things must be different with online sales,” she said.
The sales that were down in general for florist Sequeira’s store over the last year saw no relief during this Valentine’s season.