Amy Chua's Parenting memoirs (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) has created quite a global furor & debate and rightly so as it touches upon an issue that is as complex as the human DNA itself - the code that every responsible parent wants to break.

The issue at hand is, what is the best way to raise a child to be a successful adult ready to face the challenges of today's global economy. This is an extremely sensitive topic for most parents and the yardstick to measure their success or failure.

While I read through various articles in Wall Street journal and Time (still to read the book, ordered from Amazon today), several thoughts race through the mind on what style of parenting is effective or how much pressure is good for kids but the most important aspect of the issue seems to be widely ignored. Are the "Tiger Cubs" happy, did they have a happy childhood that they can cherish and the freedom to make the right decisions for themselves in life ahead.

Today is Raksha Bandhan, the most awaited festival in the month of August. The festival celebrates the special bond that exists between brothers and sisters.  During this festival, the sister ties a Rakhi on their brother's wrists.  The rakhi dosn't have to be tied to a blood-related brother, but any brother like companion or adopted brother in your family, such as a friend, extended family member, or step brother to signify a peaceful and co-existence of every individual.     The rakhi symbolizes the brother's promise for the protection of his sister.  Although most of the culture does indeed celebrate it, many people don't know the actual history behind it.  One of the most famous stories that existed from Raksha Bandhan was the Rajputs, Mughals, and Sultants during the 15th century.  The story of how it arrived was based on the widowed queen of Chittor felt that she could not protect her kingdom from an invasion by Bahadur Shah Zafar, Sultan of Gujarat, she sent a rakhi to Humayun. Humayun was touched by this gesture of Rani Karnatvati and he rushed to protect his new sister. He even abandoned an ongoing military campaign to protect his sister.    However, the traditional method to Rakhi festival celebration differs from place to place across India.  Some people also believe that Raksha Bandhan derived from the legends of Alexander the Great & King Peru, Lord Krishna & Draupathi, King Bali & Goddess Laxmi.  However, in each legend, the same message is emphasized: Raksha Bandhan is afestival symbolizes the everlasting bond between a brother and his sister.  Thus, the Raksha Bandhan festival has become so important in the culture that  brothers and sisters try to visit each other place on this particular day in order to bring back the oneness of the family, binding the family together in an emotional bond of love.