Editorial | Happy Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan, the bond of protection, is a much cherished occasion particularly among the Hindu community to celebrate the sacred bond between a sister and her brother. This is a festival which is marked to show the love and unity between the siblings (of different genders). Keeping up with the essence of the name of this festival, the brothers promise to safeguard their sisters from all evils and in turn get tied by Rakhis – sacred threads – by sisters on their wrists to prevent them from evil eye. The tying up of Rakhi is not just a symbolic act but it rejuvenates the feelings of love, compassion, affection and mutual trust between sisters and brothers. The Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore during the partition of Bengal, in 1905, used this occasion to signify the centuries-old bond between the Hindus and Muslims of Bengal to bring the two communities on the same page. Though the festival is believed to have been celebrated between the spouses where the wives would tie the Rakhi to their husbands, however with passage of time the festival became specific between sisters and brothers only. In the contemporary times where the girls have many social issues, each brother is supposed to remember the message of this festival and stand up to safeguard his sister and at the same time ensure that she gets to enjoy the liberties she as a human she is entitled to. May this occasion be a harbinger of peace and security in the life of every girl and at the same time protect her brother from every evil eye. Happy Raksha Bandhan.