Chandigarh, August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A unique Raksha Bandhan programme, ‘Rakhi Sarhad Ke Naam’, will bring together 1,100 women and 1,100 Indian Army and BSF personnel at the historic Asafwala War Memorial in Fazilka on August 23, with the event aimed at honouring the country’s armed forces and commemorating its fallen soldiers.
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday released the poster of the programme in Chandigarh in the presence of Shaheedon Ki Samadhi Committee president Karan Gilhotra and members Navdeep Asija and Raman Khurana.
Under the initiative, 1,100 women from Fazilka will tie Rakhis on the wrists of 1,100 soldiers, expressing gratitude, respect and solidarity with personnel guarding the nation’s borders. The programme carries the message: “Honouring National Defence… Celebrating the Pride of Sisters.”
The choice of venue holds particular significance. The Asafwala War Memorial commemorates 232 Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice while defending the Fazilka sector during the 1971 India-Pakistan War.
Navdeep Asija said tying Rakhis to soldiers at the memorial would pay tribute to both serving personnel and the martyrs who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.
According to the organisers, serving Army and BSF personnel, veterans, families of martyrs and their relatives, civilians, social organisations, schools, religious institutions and representatives of different sections of society will participate in the programme.
Governor Kataria will be the chief guest, while senior officers of the Indian Army, BSF and civil administration are also expected to attend.
Raksha Bandhan traditionally celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. The organisers said the Fazilka programme seeks to give the festival a wider national dimension by symbolically connecting the sacred thread with the soldiers who protect the country’s borders.
The event will also highlight the sacrifices of armed forces personnel, the resilience of martyr families and the sentiments of communities living in India’s border areas.
The organisers said the initiative aims to convey a message of patriotism, gratitude and national unity from Fazilka to the rest of the country, underscoring that while soldiers guard the borders, citizens stand firmly with them.
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