I feel pity whenever I hear about the great granthas, RAMAYAN and MAHABHARAT. These two granthas are the pillars of hindu religion and culture where everyone sings the song of the lord Ram, who was dutiful, ideal and loving son, disciplined disciple, great warrior and king, but unfortunately, not a supportive and protective husband. He could not support and protect the selfrespect of Goddess Sita, who was a pure soul. My heart contracts so badly with the fact that the girl who decided, without a second thought, to leave her home (sasural) and spend 14 years of exiled life in jungles with her betterhalf and God, was left all alone when her character was questioned and that also when she was going to give birth to the next generation of the Raghuvansees. Though Lord Ram was wealthy, powerful, dutiful, disciplined, ideal, a king, lovable to all, I never wish to have my betterhalf and soul mate like him, who could not fight for his otherhalf’s self respect and character.

And what to talk about MAHABHARAT, it is the limitation of male dominance level. I mean…… how one can even take his wife for guaranteed to that disgusting level. Is woman a personal property of a man that he can use her in gambling? And regardless of this also, there are some people who consider a woman to be the cause of the battles and other quarrels. Like seriously………

But don’t mistake me, I am writing this neither to blame the males nor to take anyone’s side. These are just my views that are pinching my heart and mind every moment after I have started to watch RAMAYAN and MAHABHARAT again during this lockdown period.

Frankly speaking, I don’t believe in male dominance because God has created both the males and females with their own specialties. I strongly believe a man completes a woman or it can also be said that a man is incomplete without a woman. Males are not always the culprits and the cause of any mess or pain and so are the females. Male characters like Bahubali also exist who are determined towards their promises and their ladies whereas women characters like Devsena too exist who know to speak up for their rights, freedom and self respect.

My only message to you all through this writing is to tell you that be a fighter, own saviour, speak up for yourself rather than expecting from others to do it for you whether you are a female or a male.

Priyanka Gupta

Birgunj, Nepal