Bengal Congress chief says Tagore launched Raksha Bandhan

On thirty first August 2023, Kamru Choudhury – a Congress chief from West Bengal – posted from his X (previously Twitter) deal with that the pageant of Raksha Bandhan was launched by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. He claimed that the Raksha Bandhan pageant began in India when Rabindranath Tagore initiated it to boost the brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims in India after the Partition of Bengal.

Kamru Chowdhury posted, “Raksha Bandhan was introduced by Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore as a message of Universal Brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims after the Partition of Bengal. Why is Kanoongo Gaslighting?”

Raksha Bandhan was launched by Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore as a message of Universal Brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims after the Partition of Bengal. Why is kanungo Gaslighting ? https://t.co/GRLl9UcxIZ

— Kamru Choudhury (@Kamru_Choudhury) August 30, 2023

Kamru Chowdhury posted this in response to Anand Ranganathan’s publish whereby he quoted the letter written by the NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) chairman Priyank Kanoongo to the states to ensure that no college students in any college get harassed for carrying Rakhi on their palms throughout Raksha Bandhan pageant. Anand Ranganathan wrote, “The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to all States to make sure children are not beaten, harassed, discriminated against, or subjected to corporal punishment on account of wearing a Rakhi during Raksha Bandhan celebrations. This is India in 2023.” Kamru Chowdhury’s remarks about Raksha Bandhan got here in response to this publish by Anand Ranganathan.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to all States to verify kids are usually not overwhelmed, harassed, discriminated towards, or subjected to corporal punishment on account of carrying a Rakhi throughout Raksha bandhan celebrations.

This is India in 2023. pic.twitter.com/Ok0vDrBfdA

— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) August 30, 2023
What did the NCPCR chairman say in his letter?

NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanoongo stated in his letter, “Over the years, it has been observed by the Commission through various news reports that children are subject to harassment and discrimination by the school teachers and other staff on account of the celebration of festivals. It has been noticed that schools do not allow children to wear rakhi, tilak or mehendi in schools during the festival of Raksha Bandhan and subject them to harassment, both physical and mental. It may be noted that corporal punishment is prohibited in schools under Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009.”

He added, “Therefore, it is requested to issue necessary directions to the concerned authorities and ensure that schools do not observe any such practice that may expose children to corporal punishment or discrimination.”

It is notable that in many faculties – particularly those run by Christian missionaries – Hindu college students are usually not allowed to put on Rakhi on their palms or apply tilak on their foreheads. In one such incident that just lately occurred in Bareilly, the instructor within the Holy Family Convent School lower the Rakhi and Kalava tied on the palms of Hindu college students with scissors saying that ‘Hinduism shall not be preached here’. While Anand Ranganathan welcomed the initiative by the NCPCR chairman to information the states to make sure that no such discrimination takes place, Kamru Choudhury got here up along with his weird claims that the pageant of Raksha Bandhan was launched by Rabindranath Tagore through the freedom battle to strengthen the ties between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

In reality, the Hindu pageant of Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated for the final 1000’s of years. References and mentions of Raksha Bandhan are seen in Hindu epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat. It can be described in a number of Puranas. Celebration of Raksha Bandhan is due to this fact a purely Hindu non secular apply. But Kamru Choudhury propagated from his X deal with that Rabindranath Tagore began this pageant to advertise Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood through the partition of Bengal.

Raksha Bandhan and Partition of Bengal

It is notable that Raksha Bandhan is a non secular apply, it was additionally used as a software through the first partition of Bengal in 1905 to showcase concord and brotherhood amongst Hindus and Muslims. The partition of Bengal was declared on 20 July 1905. The order of partition was handed in August 1905 and got here into impact on October 16, 1905. When the partition of Bengal was declared, it was the month of Shravan in line with the Hindu Calendar. Raksha Bandhan is widely known on the complete moon day of this month. Rabindranath Tagore was main the protest towards this resolution of the British authorities. He appealed to folks that on sixteenth October 1905 when this partition will likely be carried out, Raksha Bandhan be celebrated. He urged Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhis on one another’s wrists to specific concord and solidarity amongst one another.

Rabindranath Tagore made this enchantment to the individuals as a result of the partition of Bengal by the British viceroy Curzon was a choice taken to broaden the variations within the Indian individuals alongside non secular strains. Largely influenced by non secular concerns, Curzon instigated the partition of Bengal. This resolution was made after a gathering held in Assam in June 1905, the place viceroy Curzon engaged with a Muslim delegation that asserted the notion of building a definite state to protect their distinct identification.

Curzon then separated the east Bengal, Assam and Sylhet areas predominantly inhabited by Muslims from the west Bengal, Bihar and Odisha areas which had a Hindu majority. Inspired by Tagore’s enchantment, quite a few Hindus and Muslims from Kolkata, Dhaka, and Sylhet – who had been towards the partition – got here forward to tie Rakhis to one another to protest the partition of Bengal.

What Tagore did was a symbolic use of a Hindu pageant towards the choice of the British authorities. But Kamru Choudhury has now claimed that Rabindranath Tagore launched the pageant of Raksha Bandhan. Moreover, the NCPCR letter is asking colleges to not punish college students for carrying rakhi, which is a reality and a number of other such incidents have been seen in many faculties. But the Congress chief jumped in to assert that Tagore launched the pageant to advertise Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and requested why the NCPCR chief was gaslighting, which is unnecessary because the baby rights physique has not stated something towards any faith.