Ranchi : Forgetting religious barriers, Muslims here have also come forward to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister.
Israr Aalam of Dhanbad, around 156 km from here, is ecstatic. “Two of my sisters who stay in New Delhi have sent me Rakhis. My third sister Gazala, who stays with us, will tie the Rakhi on me today,” he said.
“I celebrate all the festivals of my community and, at the same time, I also celebrate Rakhi,” Israr said. Like him, there are several other Muslims youths who celebrate the festival.
“I do not have a sister. But there are two Hindu girls in my locality who love me like their own brother. I go to their house on Raksha Bandhan and present gifts,” said Mohamad Salman.
There was also celebration at Birsa Munda central jail here where some girls from Ranchi Women’s College tied Rakhis on prisoners’ wrists. “I have no sister of my own. I cannot express the happiness I am feeling today,” said Saurabh Kumar, a prisoner serving a five-year term.