Raksha Bandhan: Protect the Bond, Not the Property
Raksha Bandhan has always been a festival of love. A day where sisters tie a thread of protection around their brother’s wrist, and the brothers vow to stand by their sisters forever. It’s more than just a tradition. It’s about celebrating that one bond that never asked for anything but affection, loyalty, and understanding.
But as we grow older, the definition of “protection” changes. It’s no longer just about shielding your sibling from harm. It’s about protecting the bond itself from the real dangers of today: ego, greed, and property disputes.
When Property Comes Between Love
It’s very common to hear such instances in today’s world where siblings who once played together as children are now locked in court battles, brothers who shared everything now won’t even share a piece of land and the sisters who tied rakhi for years have cut all ties over what’s written in a will.
Real Cases That Broke Families
Unfortunately, family property disputes often become the dark undercurrent that splits siblinghood. These real-world examples reminds us how devastating things can get:
- Nitya Nand vs. State of U.P. & Anr- Supreme Court (2024)
During a family dispute over property, Satya Narain was killed by his brother Nitya Nand and other relatives after being favored in a will. Nitya Nand, along with his brothers, formed an unlawful assembly. He fired a shot at the victim as others attacked him.
- B. Sinha (Tenali Case)– Supreme Court (2007)
Brothers Shaik Aravinthan and Shaik Baji jointly owned a shopping complex. Baji insisted on partition. In response, Aravinthan chased Baji with a knife and inflicted 19 fatal wounds, ultimately killing him.
These stories may sound extreme, but they spotlight a harsh truth, when legal battles take priority over love, the consequences can be irreversible.
Preserve Bonds Through Legal Clarity
In the eyes of the law, emotions don’t write wills, documents do. While Raksha Bandhan celebrates the emotional promise of protection, the legal protection of family harmony must come through planning, transparency, and awareness.
To avoid disputes that destroy decades of trust, families especially siblings should:
- Encourage parents to executeregistered wills under Section 63 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925.
- Consider afamily settlement agreement, a legally binding document that resolves property division amicably, often without court interference.
- Avoid informal arrangements or verbal assurances; instead,formalize property transfers through proper legal channels like gift deeds or relinquishment deeds.
- Recognize that under theHindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, daughters have equal coparcenary rights in ancestral property.
- Usemediation or Lok Adalat as a first step to resolve disputes before heading to civil courts.
This Raksha Bandhan, let’s honour the bond not just by exchanging sweets and gifts, but by making sure no property ever comes between the people it was meant to shelter.
