At a time when communal rhetoric from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its acolytes in the media has reached fever pitch, India’s youth are pushing back in creative and unforgettable ways. The recent protest at Jantar Mantar was a powerful expression of that resistance, and the BJP government under prime minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah saw very clearly that Gen Z has refused to accept religious polarisation as the inevitable reality of public life.On Friday (August 28), Rakshabandhan, a group of young people spent the day on the steps of Jama Masjid in New Delhi, tying colourful sauhard ke dhaage (threads of harmony) around the wrists of everyone they met: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians alike (quite literally tying together the threads of communal harmony that others are trying to pull apart.) They were met not with suspicion or hostility, but with smiles and warmth.Sauhard Ke Dhaage is a tradition that members of the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) have carried forward every year for the past decade. Every Rakshabandhan, KYS volunteers fan out across Delhi and Haryana, tying threads of communal harmony in a gesture that takes the festival beyond the bonds of family and turns it into a public affirmation of brotherhood, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) members tying Rakhi at the Jama Masjid on August 28 as part of the sauhard ke dhaage (threads of harmony) initiative on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. Photo: By arrangementAccording to Mudita, a long-time KYS member, around 70 members and volunteers participated in this year’s campaign, tying threads around the wrists of nearly 5,000 people at the steps and gates of Jama Masjid. The response, she says, was overwhelmingly positive.Why Jama Masjid? “Because of the massive footfall there and the presence of people from all religions and walks of life.”KYS is an all-India youth and student organisation that works with students, workers and the rural poor, advocating for the rights of marginalised sections of society. Mudita, who joined the organisation as an undergraduate, sees the annual initiative as a powerful reminder of the values that continue to exist beneath the polarisation in Indian society.Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) members tying Rakhi at the Jama Masjid on August 28 as part of the sauhard ke dhaage (threads of harmony) initiative on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. Photo: By arrangement“It is heartening to see that the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of our country is alive and well,” she says. “Every year, this campaign reaffirms our faith that ordinary people want to live in peace and harmony with one another. The communal hatred that has become increasingly visible over the last decade does not emerge naturally from society. It is cultivated and amplified by those who seek to divide people for political gain. What we encounter on the streets is something very different – a deep desire for unity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.”Traditionally, Rakshabandhan sees sisters tying a rakhi around their brothers’ wrists, with the brother in turn renewing a pledge to protect his sister. The sauhard ke dhaage, however, carry a different message: they can be tied by anyone, to anyone, regardless of gender, religion or affiliation. The thread becomes a symbol not of protection but of a shared commitment to live together as equals.A Muslim man ties a Rakhi on the wrist of a Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) member at the Jama Masjid on August 28 as part of the sauhard ke dhaage (threads of harmony) initiative on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. Photo: By arrangement“Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaai, Aapas me sab bhai bhai (Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are brothers)”, reads a placard being carried by a volunteer.“We get a chance to talk to literally thousands of people every Rakshabandhan about our essential unity as Indians and the beautiful thing is, everyone agrees,” says Mudita, adding that the gesture has never been met with resistance. To date, no one has tried to stop them – not even the police.Rohit Kumar is an educator and can be reached at letsempathize@gmail.com.