Chhattisgarh students celebrate Raksha Bandhan with CRPF soldiers

Students in Chhattisgarh's Sukma tied rakhis to CRPF jawans on Raksha Bandhan. In a poignant tradition, sisters of fallen soldiers also paid tribute by tying rakhis to the statues of their martyred brothers, expressing their profound loss and love.

Students and teachers of Swami Atmanand Higher Secondary School in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district tied rakhis to personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 74th Battalion on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Friday, while sisters of fallen soldiers paid emotional tributes by tying rakhis to the statues of their fallen brothers.

A Heartwarming Gesture for Soldiers

At the CRPF camp in Sukma, students and teachers visited the 74th Battalion camp and tied rakhis to the soldiers, who were away from their families on the festival. Speaking to ANI, CRPF ASI Shankar Kumar expressed gratitude for the gesture and said the visit by students brought an emotional moment for the personnel. "I extend special wishes to you all on this auspicious festival of Raksha Bandhan. Since this morning, we have been feeling quite sad that our sisters are far away from us. However, students from Swami Atmanand Higher Secondary School arrived; they stepped in as our sisters and adorned our bare wrists with rakhis. It was a moment of great pride for us," he said. "I have promised to protect them throughout their lives, and for us soldiers, these are deeply heartwarming moments," he added.

74th Battalion, CRPF Commandant Himanshu Pandey told ANI, "It is a joy to say that we, the people of the force, face the pain of staying away from our family members during festivals and celebrating them while being away from our families. These local children and sisters come here every year to the 74th Battalion and celebrate the festival of Raksha Bandhan. I hope that the local administration, local people, and CRPF will celebrate all festivals together."

Swami Atmanand School student Tanushree Thakur says, "Today, we have come to tie rakhis to our soldier brothers, as they cannot go home due to their duties. It is a matter of great pride and joy for us to tie rakhis to these soldiers who are dedicated to serving us..."

Sisters Remember Fallen Brothers

Meanwhile, in the Errabore area of Sukma, sisters continued a unique tradition of remembering their brothers who were martyred during anti-Naxal operations by tying rakhis to their stone statues. Further, the sister of a martyred soldier said she visits his statue every Raksha Bandhan as she misses the bond they shared.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "I feel very sad. Since my brother was martyred, I come to his statue to tie the Rakhi. He was martyred in the Minpa incident. I miss him. I remember him. Remembering him makes me cry. Thinking about how my brother used to live, how he lived...he is gone; who will I stay with? Thinking this, I feel very sad."

Another woman told ANI that the festival remains incomplete without her brother. "Today is the festival of Raksha Bandhan. My brother is no longer here, so I come and tie Rakhi every year. Today, our brother is not here, so it doesn't feel good. He was martyred for the country," she said. "I come here and tie Rakhi to his statue, but it doesn't feel good. Since my brother isn't here, remembering him today... it doesn't feel good. With my brother around, there used to be happiness," she added.

Another individual said her family continues to visit his statue every year on Raksha Bandhan. "Today is the day of Raksha Bandhan. All sisters are tying Rakhi to their brothers. Our brother is not with us, so all of us sisters are tying Rakhi to our brother. Since our brother is not here, we come to his statue and tie Rakhi," she told ANI. She further added, "He was martyred in a Naxal attack. Now that the area is Naxal-free, we come to his statue and tie Rakhi to our brother."

Across the country, Raksha Bandhan was marked through family gatherings, community programmes and public events, with celebrations focusing on affection, social harmony and the traditional spirit of the festival. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)