The forest of enchantments: an ode to feminism

Ramayan is one of the Hindu mythological sagas that is prevalent in our sensibilities and being Indian parents we make sure that our children know the story early on. The story plays a vital role in preaching the overall ideal way of living and about practicing righteousness even in distress.

But being a parent now, I question myself: do we really want our boys to learn that leaving your wife (read loved one) on someone’s conjecture can be constricted as “Dharma” or do we want to teach our girls that sometimes just your word would not be enough for the world to believe that you are pious. Despite going through a trial by fire, you might still eventually be abandoned.

Well, the stories we tell are the same for everyone, but what perspective we build on and what morals we draw, build our characters. So, I am not suggesting that we need to revisit our scriptures or stop following these but for sure there is a need of a paradigm shift, to draw more relevant conclusions, for these times. This is exactly what Chitra Bannerjee has tried to do in her novel.

We often draw the conclusion from the tale that it was Sita’s “greed” for the golden deer that drove Ram and Laxman away from her and caused her all the despair. Despair, morbid enough that eventually became the destiny for many. But, wasn’t it the savage mockery that inflicted the vexing Surpanakha to go to Ravan and ask for help, eventually leading to the deceptive golden deer.

So, it was actually two brothers trying to belittle a woman who eventually tried to seek revenge. Supranakha was smitten by “Ram” and had the courage to confront him and ask him to marry her. She could have been appeased or denied with respect but, of course, she was reckoned too audacious for this patriarchal society, and was humiliated by Ram (read so called “Supreme Being”).

Not to write off the sacrifices made by Ram, but it is time we establish that “Ramayan” is a story also about Sita, Urmila, Surpanakha, Kaikiya and all the powerful, yet overlooked, woman characters.

The novel depicts women’s struggle to retain autonomy in a world that privileges men. This retelling of an ancient story felicitates the uncredited yet strong women which actually form the building blocks on which the story stands tall.

The novel also beautifully explains how every character was driven by Love and it was Love that was the cause of all evil, for it is:

A story of Urmila: A woman who was left behind by her husband, as he wanted to follow his brother in the forest, at the expense of abandoning his own wife. Urmila was in sleep for the entire 14 years when Laxman was not around, denying herself the normal life. But, was it not Love that denied her a happy life, she was actually entitled to.

A story of Kaikiye: A woman who is synonymous to the evil mothers. But wasn’t she in totality a fierce mother, who did what she did, out of love for her son. It was Love that drove Kaikiye to ask for a reward that could benefit her son. She was obstinate but isn’t that indeed the virtue of pure love, that it is obstinate.

A story of Surpanakha: A woman who was so smitten by Ram that she was hopelessly in love and wanted to marry him. But, was rather belittled for expressing her love and sent back humiliated.

And most importantly a story of Sita: A woman who was a divine healer, but ironically was hurt so brutally that she could not heal herself. She came out of fire once, unscathed physically, but probably was scathed mentally that she denied to give in to man’s whims.

She sacrificed herself, depicting the power of silently suffering and accepting grace and pride over self-pity.

Her rejecting Ram’s offer to do a trial by Fire again, and in turn become the Queen of Ayodhya, edifies that when testing times come one should stand steadfast and think rationally, understanding what is needed to be compromised but more what should never be.

Her love for Ram was unparalleled, but when it was a question of her pride she did not waiver. She led a life full of trials and tribulations with strength and courage, setting an example for woman to come. And this is exactly the perspective of Ramayan that we need to emphasise.

After reading this novel, for me Ramayan is not just an epic about the most righteous King this universe has ever seen, but an assertion that when times come a woman is headstrong to even deny the niceties and chooses to cherish her pride.

So, this is the version of Ramayan that i would read to my son, to teach him how women should be treated and mainly how not to be treated and this is also the version of Ramayan for the daughters i know, as a reminder, that they all inherit the strength that Sita had and the patience that she portrayed.