One old man showed his “concern” towards the deteriorating “values” by pointing out to me that no boy these days wants a girl to tie him a Rakhee while they die to get friendship belts from certain girls.
I think this in fact shows that the guys do take the Rakhee concept more seriously than friendship day. The fact that they avoid a rakhee suggests that if it is tied they do take the brother-sister relationship seriously.
Same can not be said about so called friendship day and friendship belts. When you already have 50 bands on your hand and you don’t remember all the names of people who have tied it; it’s all superficial.
Our traditions probably are more deeply entrenched than we think. Hope they remain so.
But in any case serious relationships may it be brother-sister or friendship does not necessarily require any such “bandhan” to assert itself.
Very well said….