Rakshabandhan a Pledge to Protect Sisters, Daughters: UP CM Yogi
UP CM Yogi Adityanath frames Rakshabandhan as a pledge for sisters' safety and self-respect; free bus travel for women from Aug 27-29 across Uttar Pradesh.
Key Highlights:
- UP CM Yogi Adityanath greeted the state on Rakshabandhan — being celebrated this year on August 28 on Shravan Purnima — calling it a festival of commitment to the honour and safety of sisters and daughters.
- Free bus travel for women, an initiative first launched on Rakshabandhan in 2017, will continue this year from August 27 to August 29.
- CM invoked the Krishna-Draupadi and Lakshmi-King Bali legends to frame the festival as one of "affection, responsibility and protection".
- Highlighted Mission Shakti, Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mass Marriage Scheme, Destitute Women's Pension and Women Entrepreneur Credit Card as pillars of the government's nine-and-a-half-year record.
- Urged citizens to tie Rakhi to police, security forces and disaster relief personnel, and to prioritise locally produced Rakhis and gifts.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his Rakshabandhan greetings to the people of the state through a public letter on Monday, using the occasion to reframe the festival as far more than a ritual of tying a sacred thread. In his message, he described Rakshabandhan — being observed this year on August 28 on Shravan Purnima — as a reminder of society's collective responsibility towards the honour, safety and self-respect of sisters and daughters.
Rooting the Festival in Sanatan Tradition
Drawing on scripture and folk memory, the Chief Minister said the festival "symbolises this strong tradition of our Sanatan Sanskaars." He referenced the popular tradition in which Draupadi, on seeing Lord Krishna's finger bleeding, tore the edge of her saree and tied it around it — a gesture Krishna reciprocated by protecting her in her hour of crisis. He similarly invoked the story of Goddess Lakshmi tying a sacred thread around King Bali to make him her brother, thereby securing Lord Vishnu's return. "These incidents demonstrate that affection not only builds relationships, it also fosters a sense of responsibility and protection," he wrote.
