Symbolic Festivities

We celebrate so many festivals throughout the year.  some don't make sense to me, and some... well make me ponder.  But this festival makes me feel sad. It's Dussehra.

I have written extensively on Raavan and why I feel we could not understand him or probably we chose not to understand him.  You can read my views on Raavan, Ram and Sita in my posts Defending Raavana and Raavana Is In My Soul.  Here is a glimpse.

"OK, alright, yes he abducted another man's wife but did not force himself.  He fought a fair war for what he thought was right in his eyes.  After all, women were used for political reasons like commodities (defeated kings offering their daughters for marriage to the winner etc).  Also, I fail to understand why Laxman is in no one's bad books for slashing the nose of a (demon) young girl, who showed interest in him?!!  When women could be won, or lost, or earned, or whatever then why, in that era, such hue and cry for stealing a woman?  From that point of view, what should be the punishment for raping one's own daughter? Should THEIR effigies not burnt then?  Raavan, still, had the courage to fight, actually fight a war for that woman (how flattering is that now !!!)"

This year too, effigies of Raavana, along with his brother Kumbhkaran and son Meghnad, were burned, with loads of crackers, fun, dandiya, music, and chaat papdi stalls.  I too attended the local celebration. 

But I was pained, as always.  Seeing him stand there, at the mercy of people, common men and women, who themselves don't understand the meaning of the festival.  For them, he is the demon, but nobody will think how was Ram as a husband and as a father. Was a woman called Sita wronged somewhere? Who's bothered.  I hear some new TV serial is coming called "Ganga ki Dheej", (what does that mean?) which also talks how can a woman give proof of her purity. Uff! I have no words. All this just defies logic for me.

But, this year witnessing the effigy of Raavana go up in flames brought out some more painful thoughts in my mind.  Just a month back, I heard, there was a video clip of a young boy who got electrocuted while climbing over the top of a stationary train in Australia, and some one commented about this horrific scene as "this could be a way to get rid of Indian students from Australia" (not the exact words, but something like this) . He surely had to face the wrath of the world.  It was such a shameful thing to say.

leftovers of dussehra



But, that is what I felt like seeing the dark, slim and tall effigy of Raavan beginning to spark and burn from the top (or at least that is how it looked to me). 



Through this festival, are we not promoting the feelings of violence? Are we not saying it is OK to see some person, or his symbolic presence, to be burned and mutilated? Raavana is looked down upon, humiliated every year.  We celebrate the victory of goodness over evil.  But, have we ever questioned our choices?  What was evil in that era, is the norm of this era.  If we really see, we, the common man would be at par (or rather worst than him in many cases) with the villian of that era.  Is it not time, we change the symbols of evil?  Is it not time we understand that raping a woman is worst than abducting and then waiting for that woman to accept your love? Okay, yes, agreed Raavana had ego, which ruined his kingdom.  Do we not have ego?  Where does the modern man stand in front of Raavana?

But still, Raavana will be burned, his effigy filled with expensive big crackers will go up in flames each year.  We will be left with the wooden carcass of the evil demon lying helplessly on the ground surrounded by the paper, ash and half burnt pieces of shells, every year. 

It's time we question our choices. It's time we understand the true meaning of the festival.  It's time we win over the devil in our selves - our ego, our selfishness, our pettiness, our greed, and our lust before we dare to touch the Raavana. 

RESTLESS

Ravana Is In My Soul

Its Dussehra or call it Vijaya Dashmi. The same story is going to repeat itself once again this year too. I had been reading it since my school days.... Burai par Achchai ki jeet ka tyohaar... ..victory of goodness over evil.

The jubilant crowds gathering at local parks to watch the three brothers go up in flames, the same burning of effigies and lots of fireworks. The fatal arrow aimed towards Ravana will burst him to pieces, yet another time.

This time, i am sad. I am sad for Ravana. I am not a learned person, just have the same knowledge of Ramayana, as anyone who grew up reading it as a text book in school, and watching the very famous serial of Ramanand Sagar, 'The Ramayana' on TV. That's all i know, that's all i understand of Rama and Ravana.

Although, while going through articles on internet, just before writing this i read many stories. One said, Sita was his daughter in some way. another said, why he didn't force himself on Sita, because, he had a curse that if he will force himself on any woman, then his ten heads would fall off.All in all he was a learned person, who was aggressive and his biggest mistake was that this time, he fell for Sita.

But, still am feeling bad for him today. Not much for his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnaada, as they gave up their lives for their brother, their king and their State. But Ravana, what was his fault really? Eying another man's wife? that's it? Then in that case there is a Ravana in each one of us, whether we admit or not.

Now, u will say, he abducted another man's wife, well yes, that was his fault. But then, look at the character that he possessed. He didnot even touch Sita. While Sita sat in the Vatika with all her pride and vanity, Ravana respected her, and pronounced that he could wait. A woman in her kidnapper lover's home, yet safe from him. I know, i have made it sound very crass, but well that's what it was.

On the other hand, Rama did not trust his wife, we all know it. She was put through a kind of 'Sach Ka Samna'!! Yet, Sita had the heart to love and keep loving the man who distrusted her, and that too publicly. While Ravana could destroy everything and give up his life for the passion of a woman, Rama had a different set of priorities. The honour, the prestige, the respect in the eyes of his fellowmen and women was greater, much much greater than his love for his wife. And Sita was shown the door. Rest we all know.

Coming to the present times now, the common man of today, harbors both a Rama and a Ravana in his soul. Rama, not because he is so virtuous, but because even today the family honour is greater than his love. For an average man, even today the opinion of his fellow beings, the so called 'society', still has more weightage. Lets accept it, there is a Ravana in all of us, as passion sees no boundaries, love doesnot check the marital status before it knocks your door and desire doesn't know the meaning of morality. The degree, the grade, the potency may differ, but still there is a little bit of Ravana in each one of us, howsoever, socially moral our conduct may be.

Still, Ravana will be burnt again, this year too. Now I wonder, he is being punished for having a desire like that and confusing it with love, or for the abduction of another man's wife, or for fighting for a woman or for fighting with an Avatar of God? Whatever the reason is. I feel, if only Ravana understood what love was, and that it can never be gained through force, there would not have been a War like that. And if, we in our moments of silence would have realized that, there lives a Ravana in us, then at least we would feel some mercy of those effigies erected each year to be blasted into pieces.

Its easier said than done, but still, i want to finish it like this, that may we have the power to blast off that Ravana from our hearts!