4 days ago
Rakhi Gathering Revives Tagore’s Message Against Divisive Politics
People gathered in Park Circus to celebrate Rakhi in a special way.
They said the festival should bring people of different religions together.
They remembered Rabindranath Tagore, who used Rakhi Bandhan in 1905 to oppose the partition of Bengal.
The gathering described Rakhi as a sign of friendship and unity.
Organiser Satabdi Das said this message was important because she believes divisive politics is growing.
The event also included a waiter who had been jailed after a food-order dispute at Oly Pub.
He was later granted bail, but still has to attend court, according to Das.
The hotel owner said people should protect India’s secular and shared identity.
The participants wanted the celebration to show solidarity rather than division.
A Park Circus gathering celebrated Rakhi as resistance to divisive politics and a symbol of communal harmony.
Participants invoked Rabindranath Tagore’s 1905 use of Rakhi Bandhan against the partition of Bengal.
Organiser Satabdi Das contrasted Tagore’s inclusive tradition with what she called the BJP’s majoritarian politics.
The event brought together people from different faiths, including a waiter involved in the Oly Pub beef-and-mutton controversy.
Hotel owner Rafay Siddiqui said defending secularism was important amid attempts to replace shared identity with majoritarianism.
- Who
- People from different faiths and backgrounds, organisers including Satabdi Das, and hotel owner Rafay Siddiqui.
- What
- A Rakhi gathering presented Rakhi Bandhan as a symbol of communal harmony and resistance to divisive politics.
- Where
- A hotel in Park Circus.
- When
- Friday; the tradition being invoked dates to 1905.
- Why
- Organisers said they wanted to revive Tagore’s message of communal harmony and resist majoritarian politics and threats to secularism.
Key facts
- Historical reference
- Rabindranath Tagore used Rakhi Bandhan in 1905 as a symbol of harmony and opposition to the partition of Bengal.
- Event location
- A hotel in Park Circus.
- Organising platform
- Reclaim The Night United.
- Political concern
- Organiser Satabdi Das said the gathering opposed what she described as the BJP’s majoritarian politics.
- Food-order controversy
- A waiter from Oly Pub was jailed after allegedly serving beef to a customer who had ordered mutton.
- Legal status
- The waiter spent a short period in judicial custody and was later granted bail, but still has court appearances, according to Das.
- Host’s statement
- Rafay Siddiqui said it was important to defend secularism and India’s shared national identity.
Quotes
Rafay Siddiqui
Owner of the hotel that hosted the gathering
“Now, when the BJP is hell-bent on pursuing majoritarian politics and creating division, it is more important than ever to revive Tagore’s tradition. Instead of the patriarchal Raksha Bandhan, let us carry forward the tradition of celebrating communal harmony through Rakhi Bandhan, as envisioned by Tagore.”
telegraphindia.com
“At a time when attempts are being made to weaken the idea of secularism and replace our shared national identity with majoritarianism, it is important to remind ourselves of the strength of India’s roots.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Related news
How Tagore Used Rakhi to Resist Bengal’s Partition
Bengal Government Plans Raksha Bandhan With Rabindra, Folk Performances
Suvendu Adhikari announces Raksha Bandhan at Har Ghar Tiranga rally
Kolkata Janmashtami Committee Shift Sparks Religious Harmony Debate
Zohran Mamdani Celebrates Raksha Bandhan With South Asian Seniors
Indore Marks Raksha Bandhan With Faith, Family And Civic Initiatives
NC and BJP Protests Escalate J&K Statehood, Governance Clash
Shivakumar Calls BJP Padayatra Cover-Up for Internal Crisis
Omar Abdullah Alleges Unequal Treatment of Srinagar Political Protests
Manipur Census Deferment Welcomed as Step Toward Public Aspirations
TMC Alleges Police Misuse and Denial of Legal Notices
