RAVAN

My wife was taking my daughter who is 2 years 8 months old for her maiden experience of seeing Ravan the symbol of evil go up in flames. The area in Dwarka where it is organised is normally great for comfortable driving by Delhi standards. Come Dussehra evening, it is banned for motor traffic. Similar to rush hour, People throng the area in such quickness that to me this appears as if each person has transformed himself into a car honking and elbowing the other like the daily morning madness to reach office 5 minutes faster.
People walk to witness this annual sport for fun and some deep purpose. Zara was made to walk too. On the way she complained of not able to make pace with the maddening crowd and wanted to be carried. “She has become smarter, Look at her ability to invent excuses” is what Suja told me over phone when she was on her way. When she could not convince her about the goodness of walking, I was asked to hang and call later.
It first rained and then started drizzling in Kabul today. Hopes for fresh look of the aging trees and hills around which has been rare in my two and half month’s stay brightened my imagination. While taking the first sip of coffee of the day peeping through my cosy room window I thought what a coincidence? Dusty Kabul was cleaning itself and back home India was preparing to clean itself of its vices. The process of Ravan getting engulfed in flames appeared before me. Soon with a public resolve to keep away the vices, effigies of demon king Ravan will have its fate sealed in powerful flames interspersed with loud bangs of fireworks.
I was curious to know my daughter’s reactions as it was her first experience that she may probably remember for some time.
Soon I finished my milk coffee; a deafening echoing thunder accompanied with lightning transported me to Dwarka in New Delhi. Here stood a tall Ravan, elegantly dressed waiting to meet the ends of justice. My imagination saw a much taller and fatter Ravan as compared to last year imposingly staring at me. My thoughts started wandering: Ravan is trying to catch our attention and imaginations by increasing its size and volume but poor guy fails every time. I must salute the spirit of this teacher Ravan who each year repeats the same lessons to a ever growing crowd of making the society around us happier. But is this ritual meeting its purpose? Confused I thought let us have dinner..............
After dinner I called up home to know the reactions of my child..... My wife thought better to put her directly to me..... She said “Papa bechara Ravan suffered great pain, it was burnt, please let us go and apply some medicine”. I smiled and assured her of the needful.
Then words of Gandhi flashed “Hate not the Sinner but the Sin” I am wondering will I listen and vow to clean myself to begin with before becoming a part of a crowd who refuses to take the basic lesson and celebrates hurling pain in the name of cleaning the society at large and spreading a message that is probably losing its meaning and purpose?