ABSTRACT
B. Vizia Bharati (1941) represents an important dimension of Dalit feminism. Her analysis of Hindu mythologies from a Dalit woman’s perspective has added a new perspective to the readings of Hinduism. Vizia Bharati extends the scope of her analysis by examining the negative characters, kingdoms and cultures that are portrayed in the Ramayana. Continuing the argument of the Dravidian and Dalit-Bahujan movements, Vizia Bharati reiterates that the demons presented in the Hindu classics are actually the indigenous people and the tribal people who fought for the preservation of the environment. The essay in this chapter discusses the intricacies of the Ramayana from a Dalit feminist perspective. The essay analyses that the epic Ramayana was created at a time when people upheld Jainism and Buddhism, vexed with Vedic rituals as part of a massive effort to uphold the supremacy of the Vedas, revive the past glory of the priestly class, establish varna dharma, oppress the non-Brahmins and restrict women’s freedom. The dominant castes needed to create a great man to compete with the Jain tirthankaras and Buddha and to publicise him as a divine incarnation and that is how and why Rama was created. The Ramayana, Vizia Bharati points out, guarantees that there is nothing wrong in killing women and Shudras in the interests of society. In the Balakandam of the Ramayana, there is the episode of killing of Tataka, a valiant tribal queen who was very particular about protecting the forest from the invasions of the mainstream Aryan kings who were clearing up forests in order to extend their kingdoms and killing the animals in the name of rituals. She was killed though killing of women was condemnable but propagated it as a great deed. In Uttarakanda, there is the episode of the killing of Shambhuka, a shudra. Both instances of killing by Rama are based on the well-being of cows and Brahmins, destruction of the Naga kingdoms, the state punishing those who violated varna dharma (caste system). Such texts and stories were also used to teach seva (service) dharma and stree dharma to Shudras and women.
