The words in above title are said by my mom "Not Everyone Is Sita" some years ago. It did shook me to certain extent as my mom didn't bother to get into the details & they have stayed with me since then as a puzzle & later as lesson. I remember, while discussing Ramayan with a friend , I said if Lord Ram couldn't trust his own wife , then we are even lesser mortals. Years later I did realise how much wrong I took from that epic.
So, while I kept visiting those lines in years to come , I could not dissect it . Who doesn't want to be Sita ? Sita is pure and Queen of Ram . Above all Sita is 'Pativrata' (chaste) , so when you call "not everyone is Sita" , Is that an accusation ? I could have said yes , but those words were used in in defense . The words remained itched in my mind seeking answer.
One day DU banned 300 Ramayanas , and for the first time I felt like thanking govt. for some thing. On twitter everyone was talking about 300 Ramayanas . For starters , I had never heard about the book & quest for my answers begun. The book was part of Delhi University academics for post grad program and it dealt with various versions of Ramayana and its stories . While looking for arguments related to 300 Ramayanas , I came across a paper presented in one of the US universities .
The paper brought light upon Indian folktales . Indian folktales who tell stories of Sita & Sita's pain . I'd this paper in my pc , but I guess I lost it . This paper talked about patriarchy in Indian society . It talks about how the versions written by women are rejected by our patriarchal society . It talks about folktales in Bangla , Marathi , Telgu and other languages . The paper tells for ordinary women in these folktale Ram isn't a great husband . How Rama treated his wife . These folktales about which I learnt from a paper presented in some university . The folktales which are lost because probably they were thought to be inappropriate to be passed on to generation further . The alternate story is lost in idolising Ram & Sita . A relationship where one should look beyond divinity .
Indeed if we look at today's situation of many women , they are Sita . I am glad yet "Not Everyone is Sita".
PS: If I get Link & PDF of the paper , I shall share it .
So, while I kept visiting those lines in years to come , I could not dissect it . Who doesn't want to be Sita ? Sita is pure and Queen of Ram . Above all Sita is 'Pativrata' (chaste) , so when you call "not everyone is Sita" , Is that an accusation ? I could have said yes , but those words were used in in defense . The words remained itched in my mind seeking answer.
One day DU banned 300 Ramayanas , and for the first time I felt like thanking govt. for some thing. On twitter everyone was talking about 300 Ramayanas . For starters , I had never heard about the book & quest for my answers begun. The book was part of Delhi University academics for post grad program and it dealt with various versions of Ramayana and its stories . While looking for arguments related to 300 Ramayanas , I came across a paper presented in one of the US universities .
The paper brought light upon Indian folktales . Indian folktales who tell stories of Sita & Sita's pain . I'd this paper in my pc , but I guess I lost it . This paper talked about patriarchy in Indian society . It talks about how the versions written by women are rejected by our patriarchal society . It talks about folktales in Bangla , Marathi , Telgu and other languages . The paper tells for ordinary women in these folktale Ram isn't a great husband . How Rama treated his wife . These folktales about which I learnt from a paper presented in some university . The folktales which are lost because probably they were thought to be inappropriate to be passed on to generation further . The alternate story is lost in idolising Ram & Sita . A relationship where one should look beyond divinity .
Indeed if we look at today's situation of many women , they are Sita . I am glad yet "Not Everyone is Sita".
PS: If I get Link & PDF of the paper , I shall share it .
