It is heartening to see young girls living near India’s borders tie rakhis on the wrists of the soldiers guarding our country, soldiers who can’t go home to meet their sisters. Raksha Bandhan, so rich in symbolism, is unique to India. It continues to unite not only blood brothers and sisters and those who have become brothers and sisters through the sacred thread in our neighbourhoods, but sometimes also those who might have been enemies.
A very moving incident of rakhi comes to my mind in this season of love. In 1995, Sister Rani Maria, a nun who was working with the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh, was murdered in broad daylight. Samunder Singh, the murderer, was sentenced for life. Since Sr. Maria was working for the rights of the poor against the exploitation of moneylenders, she soon began to be venerated in the area.
Sr. Selmi, a blood sister of Sr. Maria’s, could not digest the fact that Singh was in jail. Through Swami Sadanand, a Catholic priest, she made contact with Singh at the Indore jail and tried to assure him that she and her family had really forgiven him. She also convinced him that her murdered sister, Maria, too would have liked to offer him Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
That left Singh aghast. While his ears refused to believe what they heard, his heart challenged the very meaning of Sr. Selmi’s utterances. By this time though, he had realised the mistake of committing that horrific crime on behalf of the one who had paid him to do the job. When the words did sink into Singh’s heart, he sobbed and enquired, “But how can I believe that I am really forgiven, Sisterji?”
Sr. Selmi understood that she needed a more realistic symbol to express forgiveness. This was in 2002 and Raksha Bandhan was round the corner. Clutching one cute, colourful rakhi, Sr. Selmi gently held Singh’s wrist and tied it on that strong arm which had stabbed her sister to death brutally.
Her rakhi brother had nothing to offer her from behind the bars except his tears. “Am I dreaming or is this for real? I never asked her to forgive me. What is happening here?” were some of the questions that raced in his mind faster than his tears.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religions, is currently the director of communication of the Delhi Catholic Church
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/father-dominic-emmanuel-614
