Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the removal of a few couplets in Ramcharitamanas that are offensive to women and Shudras while extolling the virtues of certain sections of the society.
In his four-and-a-half page missive, Maurya wrote that the daily recitation of Ramcharitmanas through loudspeakers offends Dalits, tribals, women, and backward classes as it contains abuses directed at these sections of people. He demanded that such offensive couplets be removed as a mark of respect for 97 per cent of the country’s population.
For the past few weeks, Maurya, the national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, has kept up a relentless attack on the epic composed by Tulsidas, dubbing it a reflection of a mindset of the “middle ages” even as his party said it respects the epic.
Maurya’s letter drew attention to Article 15 of the Constitution which prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth. This is linked to a speech made by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar about India entering an age of duplicity where though electorally there is no discrimination (one person, one vote), there are great inequalities in social and economic life.
“Till when will we ignore these inequalities? We are putting our political republic in danger," the letter read.
Maurya also questioned the overriding popularity of the Ramcharitmanas when there are numerous epics based on the life of Lord Ram. “Is it because it pronounces Brahmins as superior and the deprived as lowly? Is it religious to abuse women and weak, deprived castes? Does the Constitution of this country give this right? Will the country be run by the Constitution or the mindset of the middle ages” Maurya wrote.
He cited six couplets from the epic which he deems derogatory.
Maurya appealed to the PM’s sense of hurt at being called ‘neech’ (lowly) which he had alluded to in his 2014 election campaign. “When such behaviour can be directed against you, what to say of how women, tribals, Dalits and backwards deal with”.
He goes on to mention that religion cannot spread lies and superstitions in the name of god.
“I am opposed to the hate and varn vaad (discrimination on the basis of varnas) being spread in the name of religion. My first demand is that there be a ban on all those who recite this (Ramcharitmanas) and that appropriate action be taken against them”.
He called for removal or a correction of all such couplets he deems offensive from the epic.
