Last week India celebrated Rakshabandhan. In every corner of the country, sisters tied a thread around their brothers’ wrists, brothers offered gifts and promises of protection, and families came together to share meals, laughter and memories. The streets of cities and towns were crowded with travellers returning home. Railway stations were packed, buses were full and highways carried streams of cars heading toward villages and family homes. All of this happened for a festival that is built around a single symbolic gesture, but it was enough to move millions of people across the map in a matter of days.
This is not a sight unique to India in the broadest sense. Cultures around the world have moments when families reunite. Americans gather for Thanksgiving. Japanese families meet during Obon. Many Muslim communities come together for Eid. Yet there is something about the frequency, scale and intensity of India’s festival calendar that sets it apart. In India, the next major celebration is never too far away. People adjust work schedules, travel long distances and spend a significant part of their resources to be with loved ones, again and again throughout the year.
These observations raise a larger question about how we measure the success of a nation. For decades the conversation has been dominated by economic metrics like GDP, GDP per capita and more recently composite measures like the Human Development Index. These are important, but they leave out something vital. They do not measure the strength of human connection. In a time when artificial intelligence and other technologies are transforming how we work, communicate and even form relationships, understanding and preserving those connections may be as important to a nation’s long term stability as economic growth or infrastructure.
One proposal for filling that gap is the Enhanced Cultural Bonding Index, or eCBI. This is a framework for capturing the strength of a society’s social and cultural fabric in a way that can be compared across countries. The index would combine several behavioural indicators. It would look at the proportion of the population that takes part in major communal and family events. It would measure how far people are willing to travel to be part of those events. It would take into account the number of days people set aside for them and the extent to which traditional customs, attire and rituals are carried forward across generations.
Money is part of the story too, but not in a way that penalises less wealthy societies. The eCBI uses the percentage of discretionary income that households spend on festivals and gatherings, adjusted for affordability within that country. A family in a rural village might spend less in absolute terms than an urban family in another part of the world, but the share of their discretionary budget devoted to these occasions could be much higher. That share, together with the time people invest, would create a measure of what might be called affordability adjusted effort.
Why does this matter now? The rapid spread of artificial intelligence is not just changing the economy. It is reshaping the fabric of everyday life. Work that once required teams of people in the same place can now be done remotely or entirely by machines. Digital entertainment can keep people engaged without ever leaving their homes. While these technologies bring efficiency and convenience, they can also lead to isolation and a weakening of the local ties that give people a sense of belonging. If the old markers of success tell us how productive or technologically advanced a society is, a measure like the eCBI could tell us how well it is holding on to the human connections that make it resilient.
In countries with a high eCBI, people come together frequently and in large numbers for shared experiences. This habit of gathering builds trust, creates mutual support networks and strengthens identity. In times of crisis, whether caused by natural disasters, economic shocks or social unrest, these networks can mobilise quickly. They help communities recover faster, share resources and maintain a sense of purpose.
India’s cultural calendar gives it a natural advantage in such a measure. From major national festivals like Diwali and Holi to countless regional and religious events, there are many occasions each year that inspire large scale participation. The rituals are often passed down faithfully from one generation to the next. The willingness to travel great distances for these events, even when work and modern life make it difficult, reflects a deep cultural commitment. This is not just a matter of tradition for its own sake. It could be a source of soft power in the years to come, reinforcing tourism, strengthening diaspora connections and maintaining internal unity in a rapidly changing world.
As the trains return to normal schedules and the crowds disperse after Rakshabandhan, it is worth thinking about what we choose to measure when we talk about progress. Economic strength and technological capability will always be important, especially in an age shaped by artificial intelligence. But the bonds that draw millions of people back to their families and communities, time and again, may turn out to be just as essential to the stability and wellbeing of a nation. A metric like the Enhanced Cultural Bonding Index could help ensure that these bonds are recognised, valued and nurtured as part of a nation’s success story.
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