Rakhi-The Thread of Love

The chaste bond of love between a brother and a sister is one of the deepest and noblest of human emotions. 'Raksha Bandhan' or 'Rakhi' is a special occasion to celebrate this emotional bonding by tying a holy thread around the wrist. This thread, which pulsates with sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightly called the ‘Rakhi’. It means 'a bond of protection', and Raksha Bandhan signifies that the strong must protect the weak from all that’s evil.

The ritual is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan, on which sisters tie the sacred Rakhi string on their brothers' right wrists, and pray for their long life. Rakhis are ideally made of silk with gold and silver threads, beautifully crafted embroidered sequins, and studded with semi precious stones.

Chaitra Sakranti

The Hindu community people in Dhaka Bangladesh celebrate Chaitra Sankranti and Pahela Baishakh following age-old traditions. The celebrations bring together people, irrespective of their creed and social differences.

Photo send by Palash Kumar Rajbongshi-Bangladesh

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE?

Let's say it's 6.15pm and you're going home (alone of course),

after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself..!!

Rajbanshi V/s Bengali In Bangladesh

Introduction / History

Most of the Bengali groups are easily defined by their common language, Bengali. However, there are several smaller tribes who are also referred to as Bengali, but speak languages other than Bengali. Their languages belong to the Assamese-Bengali sub-group of the Indo-Aryan language family and include these groups: the Hajong and Kishanganjia of India, the Hajong and Tajpuri of Bangladesh, and the Rajbanshi and Kayort of Nepal.

The Hajong originated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, and then migrated north. Today, most of them live in east central Bangladesh, primarily in the northern part of the Mymensingh district, which lies on the southern slopes of the Garo Hills. From there, some immigrated into India and now live in the states of Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh. Unfortunately, many of those who now live in Arunachal Pradesh are in danger of being evicted, even though they have been settled there for 30 years. The Tajpuri live in the plains of Rangpur, which is located in northern Bangladesh near the border of India.

How Deshis and Adhivasis are Becoming Sukumbasis (landless). ??

A pahade family from the eastern hill migrated to plain ground around latter sixties. At beginning he purchased one or two bighas of land from a Rajbanshi jimidar and settled cultivating this. His hill background with fairly good literacy status and his connection with local government offices specifically with thanas (police station) provided him opportunities to expand his influence among the rajbanshis, adhibasis and madhises of plain ground. He then started money-lending business and invested some amount among these people with very high interest rate. Since rajbanshi, adhibasi have some social and cultural occasions, which need a lot of money, he easily succeeded to multiply his business within a few years.

It is reported that he had cheated many people of plain area giving less amount at the time of loan negotiation and writing more amount in the tamasuk (contract document) so that rajbanshis, adhibasis and illiterate peoples had to payback more money than they actually had borrowed. Most of them were illiterate and did lapche (finger print) without properly knowing the content of the tamasuk. After few years, with the high interest rate the amount became large enough to payback for debtors, then without any other choice they had to sell their land and pay back the loan.