Fulbari, 28th August: Raksha Bandhan was celebrated at the Fulbari border on Friday as members of the transgender community and students of a madrasa tied rakhis to BSF personnel deployed at the border.
Members of the transgender community travelled from Baribhasa in Siliguri to the Fulbari border and tied rakhis to BSF jawans and women personnel at the Fulbari ICP. They also offered sweets to the BSF personnel as part of the celebration.
Similarly, female students from Bhandarigach-Surubari High Madrasa visited the Fulbari border and joined the Raksha Bandhan celebrations with the BSF personnel. The students tied rakhis to the jawans and offered them sweets, creating a festive atmosphere at the border.
The transgender community members said the initiative was taken to celebrate the bond of Raksha Bandhan with BSF personnel who remain away from their families while performing their duties to safeguard the country.
Transgender community member Sonali Sarkar said that while people usually tie rakhis to their family members, something should also be done for those who have left their families behind to serve at the border. She said they tied rakhis to the BSF personnel as sisters and consider all of them their brothers.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naushad Ali, acting headmaster of Bhandarigach-Surubari High Madrasa, said the school brought its girl students to the Fulbari border to tie rakhis to the BSF personnel. He said the festival was being observed irrespective of religion and caste.
He added that the students were enthusiastic about the initiative and that many BSF personnel stationed at the border may not have been able to return home to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with their families. The school therefore brought the students to the border to celebrate the occasion with them.