This is why we don't need to celebrate Raksha Bandhan anymore

Before you celebrate Raksha Bandhan this year, ask yourself if you really need your brother to be your protector. Photo Courtesy: Flickr/VishalDutta

It's that time of the year again when all Indian women will flock to their local markets. No, we are not talking about a sale, but an Indian festival--Raksha Bandhan. Yes, the same festival that is said to strengthen the bond between a brother and a sister. After all, the festival is all about a brother's unbreakable vow to protect his sister forever. And this year Raksha Bandhan is on August 7.

The sisters will fast since morning, offer puja to the Gods, and then tie colourful threads on to their brother's wrists. We get how pious and personal this celebration is. But you know what? It's time that we actually stopped celebrating it. At least not the way it has been celebrated for all these years. We mean it is 21st century after all.

Before you try to brand us anti-Hindu culture, hear us out. Here is why we think we don't need to celebrate Raksha Bandhan in this day and age.

Raksha Bandhan Is The Product Of Patriarchy

Women have always been considered to be subordinates to their male counterparts. And it's no different when it comes to brothers. You can't deny the fact our brothers get way more freedom than us. Be it the lack of curfew timings, the freedom to wear whatever they want or be--our society has always been biased towards sons.

The traditional notion of 'protecting' one's sister reeks of patriarchy. Why? Well, because a man is supposed to be the hero, a masculine, macho dude, who can fight off all the villains and rescue women around him. And how does the training for that start? At home with his sister. In a country like India, where everything comes to sanskaars, any form of protection of a woman means caging her because her 'honor' is everything. And Raksha Bandhan is the celebration of this age old theory that women will always need a man's protection. Which brings us to the fact that:

It Perpetuates The Notion That Women Are Weaker Than Men

Because why would a woman require a brother, who will be her bodyguard forever? Women have always been considered weak and meek. Our patriarchal mindsets cannot fathom the idea that women are very well capable of taking care of themselves.

You see taking care of oneself comes with the power to actually take a decision, to be free to do anything. However, does the society actually give that freedom to its women? Nope, it hails brothers and all the men in a woman's life as her guardian and the sister as the abla naari because she's weak.

Photo Courtesy: Pinterest/IndusLadies

Women Don't Really Need A Man To Protect Them

But you know what? Women can not only take care of themselves, but also of other people. Even if the society perceives women as mothers and caregivers, you can't deny the fact mothers are capable enough to not only endure the pain of childbirth, but everything else for the well-being of her child.

And if we talk of the 21st Century, then how can you forget that we have female police officers, army personnel, and even commandos. Do these gun yielding women need protection? We don't think so.

If It Is About The Bond, Why Don't Brothers Tie Rakhi Too?

If you still argue that the festival is indeed about the bond, tell us why don't our brothers tie rakhi too? Shouldn't the bond be mutual? Even if it is about protection, brothers and sisters can protect each other, irrespective of the gender.

Brothers can tie rakhis on their sisters' wrists, while both of them promise to love one another, and have each other's back when the time comes. Instead of the warped notion of machismo, the festival could very well be about mutual physical, moral, and emotional support. Even when it comes to gifts, it can be more egalitarian. Because the whole idea of a brother showering gifts on his sister only shows that women aren't as economically sound as men. Gifts can be exchanged between two or more sisters, or two or more brothers.

Maybe it's time we revamped the age-old customs, while keeping up with the times.

Also Read: Raksha Bandhan is on August 7 in 2017. But did you know who tied rakhi to Lord Krishna? 

Also Read: Dear brothers, here are the best gifts for your sister on Raksha Bandhan