Raksha Bandhan – A hindrance For Development Of Women Society?

By Pardeep

28 July, 2008
Countercurrents.org

Raksha Bandhan, Hindu festival (now infiltrated to all other religions) is coming near & I sat down to recall that two years back I had opposed openly (which actually I am doing from childhood at my home) this festival for many reasons. Two years back I had got many replies from friends those opposed me on this (except one reply from friend named Mukesh Kumar), i.e. they were in favor of celebrating this festival thinking this festival is more than a Hindu festival. So this time I’ll make some points more clear those might have been left last time.

First point there is no historical background of festival. (If some lady tied a thread on some other king’s wrist & he won, that’s just a fiction, not history!! Nor a simple thread can make someone to win). There is a chanting of holy mantra in Hinduism

Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah |
Tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala ||

It means, “I am tying a Raksha to you, similar to the one tied to Bali, the powerful king of the demons. Oh Raksha, be firm, do not waver.” How this simple, annually recurring act of tying the Rakhi on one’s wrist can evoke such strong and intense emotions in a person is indeed surprising & interesting that NASA should take some project over this!! Ohh... I think we should tie 5-6 Rakhis to the each & every army men at front so as they all become strong…!! (Or they be firm, don’t waver while raping innocent girls, women as happened in Kashmir & north eastern states)

This is common notion set (set by Brahmins) in the minds of people that relation of Brother-Sister is pure love, effective etc but it’s not true as more than 80% of world don’t celebrate this festival & they are strong enough than Indians (here consider under nutrition people also). On the one hand when Indian people don’t accept a girl child, (consider sex ratio here) women society faces discrimination in all respects but afterward thinking of festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Women’s Empowerment Day seems to be funny!!

When sister ties a thread on the wrist of brother & asks him to protect her in difficulties. Don’t all you think this it's showing or impelling that women society is not capable/eligible for protecting herself & she always needs a help. Isn’t it showing that the women society is inferior & can’t help own-self? (Here also consider what Manu Smrti says “Before marriage women should be under protection of father, after marriage under protection of husband, after death of husband she should be under protection of children,” i.e. she is never free & can’t do anything on her own will.) After few days of Raksha Bandhan here comes the “Bhaiya Dhuj” festival, on this day sister prays for long life of brother. But there is no such festival on the day when brother will pray for sister’s long life. Isn’t it a best way to keep women society down always & not to give many chances for growth?

If women society still needs her brothers to protect her from her husband or if she still looks at the face of brother to get help, this shows nothing but the lack of confidence & sense of inferiority complex caused by society only; henceforth I’ll say there is no meaning of women empowerment (forget about Dalit women) then, which many women organizations are claiming loudly!! Raksha Bandhan is itself a Bandhan (hindrance) for development of women society.

This festival is celebrated in many parts of India under different names; this is known as Narial Poornima or Coconut Full Moon in Mumbai’s famous beaches. Coconuts are thrown into the sea to propitiate (calm down) the Sea God, Varuna. This is the height of stupidity in Hinduism!!

Now rationally thinking is a special day needed to pour all the love, care, attachment? Do we need a special day like Rakhi for sister, mother’s day for mother, and father’s day for father or Valentine day for girlfriend-boyfrien d? (it shouldn’t be considered my opposition to “V-Day” is due to its western origin, likewise RSS, VHP people do without knowing what does western culture means; wearing jeans, coats, ties & opposing western culture seems funny, isn’t it?) Poor people spend at least 100’s of rupees on Rakhi’s, albeit of the fact that they can hardly afford to celebrate money wasting occasions like Diwali, Dushara, Rakhi but still these mental slaves are willing to celebrate and as a consequences be more credited with loads of money to be repaid back . These all are the beautiful carved tactics of businessmen & pundit-pujaris to earn money & to trap poor illiterate innocent people .all these businessman’s are not from the downtrodden communities, these are all Baniyas, Thakurs, Rajputs etc. All these people are highly educated but the fact is only downtrodden the untouchables are illiterate. On “Shivratri” give milk to pundit-pujaris, on “Diwali” give sweets to pundit-pujaris, on “Holi” give “bhang” to drink. All these are nothing but the tactics so as the business of temples keeps ongoing… Wake up friends!!!

 

http://www.countercurrents.org/pardeep280708.htm