Do we need to celebrate Deepavali and Deify Rama as God?[PART:04]

For many people the episode of Rama exiling Sita to the forest  and left to die in a jungle,while she was five months pregnant, is one of the most disturbing and incomprehensible events in the Ramayana.Sita who abandoned by Rama  went for shelter to the Ashrama of Valmiki, which was near about. Valmiki gave her protection and kept her in his Ashram. There in course of time, Sita gave birth to twin sons, called Kusa and Lava. For 12 years the boys lived in the forest in the Ashrama of Valmiki not far from Ayodhya where Rama continued to rule. Never once in those 12 years this 'model husband and loving father' cared to inquire what had happened to Sita - whether she was living or whether she was dead.However,Twelve years after Rama meets Sita in a strange manner.Valmiki brings Sita, and, in a solemn speech, the great ascetic declares that she is pure and innocent, and that her children, the twin-brothers Kusha and Lava, are the true

sons of Rama.Though he is satisfied with the words of Valmiki and though Ram wants Sita

back in Ayodhya with him,still Rama desires that Sita should purify herself by means of an another Agni Pariksha(she did it once) to prove that she is "pure" again and  only after

performing this,she can accompany Rama to Ayodhya .This is too much for a woman who at the first place chose the forest and its hardships only to be in the company of her husband, getting caught in the process in Ravana's clutches.A mortified Sita, who had already undergone an Agni Pariksha after returning from Lanka to please the people of Ayodhya, decided that she couldn't take it anymore and at this point Sita commits suicide.That means that Sita preferred to die rather than return to Rama who had behaved no better than a brute.Such is the tragedy of Sita and the crime of Rama the God.The many questions naturally comes is that If Rama was such a great God as many believes, How could Rama,

listen to a washer-man who was himself a domestic abuser, and banish Sita?

How does this make him an ‘Ideal Man’? How can Rama doubt Sita’s character who chose to live in forest with him than choosing to live in palace?How can some one known as most ideal husband or man on earth doubt his wife’s character on some outsider’s accusation?How can some one hailed for his supreme qualities send pregnant wife to live in forest?If Rama felt honour required exiling Sita, why didn’t he join his beloved Sita and let the humans who were so eager to judge Sita as damaged goods find themselves another king?Rama is held out as an ideal King. But can that conclusion be said to be found in fact? In the Valmiki’sRamayana the mutilation of Surpanakha[Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek/Chapter [Sarga] 18] & Ayomuki[Book III : Aranya Kanda - The Forest Trek/Chapter [Sarga] 69] and the fire ordeal of Sita and  abandoning Sita,then pregnant with two boys,clearly showing his patriarchal

dominance and further,Rama is definitely not An Ideal Husband to follow by anyone.If Rama loved Sita so much and Sita is held as an ideal Hindu wife, can Hindu women tolerate their husbands leaving them in forest for the years?Sita was a single mother, unofficially divorced.In the hermitage, Sita raised her sons alone, as a single mother?Not only that Rama said, "Women should not be trusted" and that "Secrets should not be confided to the wife" (Ayodhya kandam). Also,the manner in which he surreptitiously  killed Bali & the way in which he subjected Sita were all cruel actsHow can we celebrate the man who subjected his wife to ordeal by fire to prove her chastity?How can we speak of Lakshmana in glowing terms when he, in a racist manner, cut off the nose of Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, when she expressed her love for him?Also,Remember, Ravana was a better administrator than Rama &  Ravana himself was portrayed as a strong character in ramayana.For example,It took more months for Hanuman to build a bridge and accomplish the task while Ravana just took Sita and flew to Sri lanka in just one day's time . Who is more powerful - Rama or  Ravan ? The point is now that why are fingers always pointed at Ravana?

[By Kandiah Thillaivinayagalingam]

Part:05 will follow