Rakhi remains 'painful' affair for Bhil community

Jaisalmer, Aug 29: Raksha Bandhan for the Bhil community, which has seen large-scale migration from Pakistan in the last few years, remains an affair of longing as brothers and sisters separated by the borders don't get to meet each other on the day.

Due to difficulty in getting visa, women tie Rakhi (wrist bands) on the portrait of their brothers. Laccho Devi, who was married in Jaisalmer, said that her five brothers and other family members live in Pakistan. After the marriage, she has not visited Pakistan.

"This is because that we cannot cross border to see our brothers," she said, adding that getting a visa is difficult. She demanded that the government should relax visa norms on humanitarian grounds.

A local man Gena Ram also echoed the similar sentiments while expressing hope that some day the governments would give relaxations to make brothers and sisters celebrate the festival beyond the restriction of boundary.

Nathu Ram, a leader of the Bhil community, said, "There are several men whose sisters live in Pakistan and many sisters in India who have no option but to tie a Rakhi on brother's portrait because they find it difficult to get visa to visit each other's nation.

"The situation is not less than a pain for several families of our community here and in Pakistan because the brothers and the sisters cannot see each other on Raksha Bandhan," he said.

PTI