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How Rabindranath Tagore used Raksha Bandhan as means to prevent 1905 Bengal partition | Art-and-culture News - The Indian Express

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At a time when the country is witnessing a surge in religious intolerance, an instance from the annals of history serves as a timely reminder of religious harmony. As we celebrate Raksha Bandhan on August 26, 2018, it’s interesting to take cognizance of how more than a century ago, the concept and sentiment behind the festival was used to unite two communities, Hindus and Muslims. Bengal was at its peak of nationalist movement at the dawn of 19th century, which eventually emerged as a formidable threat to the British Raj. To curb this nationalist movement, the Britishers decided to divide Bengal, a move vehemently opposed by various leaders of the time, including Rabindranath Tagore. The decision was taken at a meeting between Lord Curzon and a Muslim delegation in Assam in June 1905, where the Muslims were convinced of the idea of a separate state to keep their identity. The plan was to divide the Hindu majority regions of West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha from Muslim-dominated areas of A

How Rabindranath Tagore used Raksha Bandhan as means to prevent 1905 Bengal partition | Art-and-culture News - The Indian Express skip to content This is an archive article published on August 6, 2017 How Rabindranath Tagore used Raksha Bandhan as means to prevent 1905 Bengal partition Following Tagore's call, hundreds of Hindus and Muslims in Kolkata, Dhaka and Sylhet came out in large numbers to tie Rakhi threads as a symbol of unity. Tagore's heartland Santiniketan still follows the tradition and the university students tied Rakhi to neighbours and common people to give a message

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