Government must declassify Ravana files to rescue reputation of Lankan ruler from propaganda

History is written by the victors — the fate that awaits the defeated being painted as the bad guy for perpetuity. No one exemplifies this better than Ravana. Yesterday, while Ram Leelas across the country and beyond perpetuated more of the good old ‘mythological hagiography’ about the ‘good king’ of Ayodhya, the effigy of the Lankan monarch, a man noted to be an exemplary ruler and learned scholar, was, as every year, consigned to the flames. But pockets of resistance to Rama-propaganda thankfully continue to exist.

The 125-year-old Dashanan Mandir — Temple of the Ten-Headed One — in Kanpur opens its doors to Ravana fans during Dussehra. As does Salher in Nasik district, Maharashtra, where the ‘demon king’ is worshipped as a protector of the local adivasi community. In the town of Baijnath in Himachal Pradesh, noted for its 13th-century Shiva temple in Himachal Pradesh, such is the overwhelming respect for Ravana as the great worshipper of Shiva that Dussehra is boycotted. No Ram Leelas, no Ravana effigies are burned here — despite the overwhelming pressures of showcasing one’s fondness for the Ayodhya king. Lord Vader would have approved of his Sith ally’s reputation being restored and rescued from Jedi propaganda. More power to such revisionism. The government must declassify the Ravana files.