Every year, the festivities of Dussehra end with the effigy of Ravana being burnt. Since ages we have been told that this is symbolic of the Victory of “Good” over “Evil”. A nation which doesn’t get tired of celebrating festivals looks forward to this with lot of anxiety. The economics of this festival alone runs into billions of dollars, literally. No festival lasts so long.

Ramleela is staged across the Northern parts of India, during the same period. People throng to the pandals to worship the deity during the day and visit the Ramleela grounds. The festive fervor continues unabated during the 09 days. Vijay Dashami comes to an end with the demon [although some desist him to be called so] Ravana’s effigy being burnt. End of Dussehra also signals the entry of winter which lasts till Feb March of the subsequent year.

People slowly start getting into welcoming goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ram takes a back seat. But it seems this is not going to be the ritual at least this year….Ram and Ramayana will be enacted till the end of UP elections in 2017. At least that is what one can make out of the political barbs which are being dished out to the people daily. The voices are becoming shriller by the day. This seems to be some, Olympics of the sort for the political class, with the sole objective to prove who is closer to Ram. Parks, Museums are being announced. TV debates are becoming interesting. One cannot but leave this issue in UP if one has to take active part at the hustings.

Just look at the venomous outbursts, I really wonder whether, Ravana ever used such words. History also portrays him as man of values; he didn’t harm Sita, despite keeping her in captivity. It seems he played by the rules. He was very kind to Ram even during his last breath,  This has been testified by Devdutt [in First published in Asian Age and Deccan Chroncile, on 27 Sept 2009 as ‘The Wisdom of Ravan’

He writes and I quote “The story goes that after firing the fatal arrow on the battlefield of Lanka, Ram told his brother, Lakshman, “Go to Ravan quickly before he dies and request him to share whatever knowledge he can. A brute he may be, but he is also a great scholar.”  The obedient Lakshman rushed across the battlefield to Ravan’s side and whispered in his ears, “Demon-king, do not let your knowledge die with you. Share it with us and wash away your sins.”  Ravan responded by simply turning away. An angry Lakshman went back to Ram, “He is as arrogant as he always was, too proud to share anything.” Ram comforted his brother and asked him softly, “Where did you stand while asking Ravan for knowledge?” “Next to his head so that I hear what he had to say clearly.” Ram smiled, placed his bow on the ground and walked to where Ravan lay. Lakshman watched in astonishment as his divine brother knelt at Ravan’s feet. With palms joined, with extreme humility, Ram said, “Lord of Lanka, you abducted my wife, a terrible crime for which I have been forced to punish you. Now, you are no more my enemy. I bow to you and request you to share your wisdom with me. Please do that for if you die without doing so, all your wisdom will be lost forever to the world.” To Lakshman’s surprise, Ravan opened his eyes and raised his arms to salute Ram, “If only I had more time as your teacher than as your enemy. Standing at my feet as a student should, unlike your rude younger brother, you are a worthy recipient of my knowledge. I have very little time so I cannot share much but let me tell you one important lesson I have learnt in my life. Things that are bad for you seduce you easily; you run towards them impatiently. But things that are actually good for you, fail to attract you; you shun them creatively, finding powerful excuses to justify your procrastination. That is why I was impatient to abduct Sita but avoided meeting you. This is the wisdom of my life, Ram. My last words. I give it to you.” With these words, Ravan died.

Look at the humility of Lord Rama, he never uttered any word which would hurt Ravan, who has kidnapped his wife, and here I am forced to think, where all the humility has gone, we call Rama the Maryada Purshottam, and do not follow any Maryada in choosing words.

Is it sheer coincidence that, every time during the UP election the issue of temple comes to fore and then after the results, the issue goes to back burner.

What started with development, gave way to Surgical Strikes and then slowly to Ram.  Almost all parties have used god in one way or the other. So as India braces for hostile relations with its neighbors, especially Pakistan and as winter approaches, internally the temperature will be kept high, Courtesy Ram.

It is a general saying in India that, after you have exhausted all your options, you should leave the consequences to God, here it seems even before the battle parties have left it to god.

No war in the history has been won without a general; such seems to be the internal bickering in the ruling party that they have sighed away from declaring their General in the UP elections.

I just hope sanity will prevail and temperatures will be brought down, BJP has an excellent opportunity to produce performance of SP government and corner them. They can ask the performance of each district and expose them, do not understand why they have chosen to invoke the name of Ram.

Of all the Ramleela, this one is going to be an interesting Leela of the sorts and let’s see who triumphs.