Ranga Rajah
Sita, in the epic Ramayana, is the epitome of patience, tolerance and is dutiful. She is the ideal wife, mother and a shining example of womanhood. Almost mute to everything she is put through. She is doubted by Rama, though she remains faithful to him throughout her confinement in Ravana’s kingdom. After Rama wins the war, she proves her chastity by entering a pyre and comes out unscathed. Rama takes Sita along with him to Ayodhya. After the coronation, a pregnant Sita is banished into the forest by Rama because of some rumours he overhears. She raises her sons Luva and Kusha in the forest. Trained in the art of warfare, these two boys capture the attention of Rama. Upon knowing that Luva and Kusha are his sons, Rama invites Sita and their sons back in the palace. This time however, Sita decides to leave Rama forever and enters the bosom of mother earth requesting Rama to take care of their children. A perfect picture of sacrifice, selfless devotion to her husband, children and family in general. But the part where she decides not to accept Rama’s invitation is when the seeds for asking questions were sown, perhaps…
Samhita Arni the author and Moyna Chitrakar the illustrator have made Sita break her silence in Sita’s Ramayana. What Sita thinks, how her thought process leads her into asking questions as a wife and a woman. A pictorial, the narration is depicted using minimum expressions yet it speaks volumes about the plight of women and their sufferings. Samhita very subtly manages to raise questions which the progressive women of today will not dare to ask. These questions are buried deep into the recesses of their minds and yet they do not raise any key questions due to conditioning as well as for reasons unknown. One of the most poignant question asked by Sita to Rama, “Then why did you fight this war?” So why do men fight wars? Just to prove their superiority perhaps. How can destroying lives and shedding blood help someone assert their powers? Rama won the war, he proved himself to be a just king. People worship Rama, he is a hero, Ramayana is Rama’s. What about Sita? Born a princess, married to a king, her fate is ultimately that of any woman. Bottom line, she is just another woman, who has to carry the burden of unjust decisions made on behalf of her, for her, by her husband and the society in general. At some point in their lives, the progressive women of today have been there, or are still there where the rules are laid by the men. This time around Sita, after centuries of staying silent, is finally asking questions. We have a heroine who won the battle by living a day to day life. No bloodbaths, no conquering of killing fields to show authority. Finally a heroine for women to worship, a heroine to frame questions for women to ask…
If Samhita has put words into Sita’s mouth, Moyna, an artist and performer from the Patua scroll-painting tradition has given expressions to those words and together they have made Sita speak.
