Opinion What Congress doesn’t get: Rama is in all and for all

What often inspires people is that Rama was anchored in Dharma, despite the tremendous and unexpected upheavals he faced. In Hindu culture, Dharma is defined as one’s duty; besides, of course, the substratum of life. His life story has resonated not just in the common man’s home in India but across the globe and has left an indelible impact. Safe to say Rama is not an ideological obsession but gives hope to millions that if life is lived well, it can be a rewarding experience and a path to divinity. This is the fulcrum of Indian thought.

Rama is incredibly relational — referred to as Prince Rama or Lord Rama, he appeals to all. Mahatma Gandhi also recognised that Rama’s life is his message. Per our research for Makers of Modern Dalit History, a paper by Kanad Sinha details that, in his dialogue with Narada, the sage Valmiki is said to have asked the former if he knew any man who was truly virtuous, mighty, righteous, truthful, steadfast in his vows, of exemplary conduct, benevolent to all creatures, learned, capable, good-looking, self-controlled, of proper temperament, judicious, envy-free, and fearsome in battle. Narada answered that so many qualities are hard to find in one person. But Rama, born in the Ikshvaku lineage, was known among the people as one such person.

Rama was never above questions or criticism throughout his journey. But he never left the side of the truth. Sri Aurobindo has also written beautifully about how Valmiki has ensured that the Ramayana is ingrained in the national character of India. So much so that in 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address at the Rama Janmabhoomi puja at Ayodhya, underscored, “Rama is in all and for all”.

Rama is an embodiment of inclusion. For Shabari or Guha in the Ramayana, their single-minded devotion enabled them to get a glimpse of him and serve him to the best of their capacity. It is due to these characters that Rama’s journey in the forest is made possible. In his masterpiece Mastery, Robert Greene explains the importance of imbibing social intelligence. Greene adds that one of the components of social intelligence is to empathise with others and understand their point of view. Rama’s life and his interactions with Shabari, Sita, Guha, Hanuman, Lakshman, Bharat, Dasharat, Vibhishana et al, make it clear that he exemplified unmatched high levels of social intelligence.

Sage Valmiki, who is single-handedly responsible for giving the world Rama, epitomised Martin Luther King’s words, “We are not makers of history, but we are made by history”. Today, his works are a subject of study not just in India but across the globe. The advice of Sage Narada to Ratnakar to chant ‘Mara, Mara’ in reverse ‘Rama, Rama’ transformed Ratnakar into Valmiki and enabled him to commit to the path of social transformation and change. Communities in India have been so inspired by Rama that they have tattooed themselves with his name, such as the Ramnaami community founded by Parasuram in Chattisgarh, who were denied entry into temples owing to their social origin. To date, the community members have a copy of the Ramsharitmanas and are well-versed in Ramkatha.

Culture, connectivity, and commerce are three important pillars of India’s foreign policy. No doubt, Rama has emerged as the pivotal catalyst for India’s shared legacy with several countries and has contributed immensely to the country’s soft power. Be it Joko Widodo of Indonesia presenting world leaders with a small box with a figurine of characters from the Ramayana or Barack Obama carrying Hanuman in his pocket. Rama’s story and the various characters in the Ramayana have remained in the imagination and minds of the people of several countries and heads and former heads of state. A Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, has not shied away from Rama or the Ramayana.

There are many instances that critics point out, and say that what Rama did in certain instances was not right. But his motivation was the ideal and its representation, not appeasement. He was objective in the true sense, doing what was right and refraining from doing any wrong.

Rama is about values. Why do families so fervently follow and recite the Ramayana? Or, for that matter, why did the streets wear a deserted look when Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana was on television? The character of Rama has the power to bring people together and not just inculcate the right values but live the values. Imbibing these values will ensure we collaborate to solve the world’s challenges and not have conflict over them. Take climate change, for instance. If the value of playing one’s part in climate action is clear, we are indeed living up to the values of Rama. Incidentally, once Rama was confused about how to stand up to Ravana, he sought inspiration from the Sun (Surya) courtesy of Sage Agastya through the Aditya Hridayam to conquer the battlefield. The pre-eminence given to nature in Hindu culture cannot be missed.

Rama is about valuing public opinion and keeping people’s interests at the forefront. Rama moved among his people to understand what they thought of him. A contemporary understanding of Rama will enable world leaders to keep people’s interests as a lodestar.

The temple in Ayodhya is not an attempt at a majoritarian message but at setting right India’s civilisational history. They do not perhaps realise that Ayodhya means “a place where there is no conflict”. And that the temple is a powerful symbol of the syncretic nature of Indian society, and as such is meant to avoid any future conflicts. Ayodhya today holds special significance for communities of South Koreans. Many of these communities believe that they trace their ancestry to the city. This was validated by the former first lady of South Korea Kim Jung-sook’s visit to Ayodhya in 2018.

Finally, Rama is not about anything abstract. In the song ‘Pal pal hai bhaari’ from Swades, the lyrics can be loosely translated into English as “Rama is in compassion, in all, in unity, in progress; he is present in both friends and foes’ hearts; in everyone’s thoughts; he is in every house, every courtyard; so much so that whoever removes Ravan from their hearts, Ram is present there too”. In the age of the 21st century, it is important to internalise Rama as a quality. We understand there is a long way to go for India to develop and progress on several social indicators. In pursuit of transforming into a developed country, contemporising Rama will help India cement itself as a responsible power and signify to the world as the real “vishwamitra” — friend of all.

Sudarshan is a policy expert and author. Guru is National Spokesperson of BJP. Views expressed are their own.