Dussehra: We Haven't Learned From Its Significance of Good Over Evil
As the nine-day festivities of Durga Utsav draw to a close, we express our heartfelt gratitude while bidding farewell to Maa. With the conclusion of Durga Puja, we uphold the tradition of publicly burning Ravana, emphasizing the importance of eradicating evil forces from our society, nation, and the world at large.
Every year, the Dussehra festival serves as a reminder that first of all, we must strive for self-improvement and eradicate our inner Ravanas (demons). Although Ravana, a remarkable character in the epic Ramayana, was a highly intelligent and powerful king of Lanka, his excessively high ego and dominance of negative traits ultimately led to his downfall, rendering him synonymous with negative qualities.
In essence, beyond the rituals and superficial festivities surrounding Ravana's effigy burning, it is imperative that we internalize the profound message and strive to implement it in our daily lives, thereby cultivating a more harmonious society, nation, and world. I am deeply troubled, as a responsible citizen, by the widespread wrongdoing in the society and the success of individuals with malicious intentions, while those with genuine intentions and sincere actions encounter hardships before achieving success. Also, political powers can disregard laws and orders without being held accountable.
Thus over the years, despite celebrating Dussehra, we have failed to learn from its significance. Dussehra commemorates the triumph of good over evil, as epitomized by Lord Rama's victory over Ravana and Goddess Durga's victory over Mahishasura. However, it appears that we have yet to overcome our inner demons and societal evils.