Revamping Roles of Terrorism in Ramcharitmanas and The Flame

Anuradha Sharma

Ramcharit Manas by Tulsi Das was written somewhere in the 16^th century, and the Flame by Stephen Gill came out in 2008 when terrorism was at its height. Both the poets are of Indian origin though Tusi Das wrote his book in India, and Stephen Gill in Canada. Terrorism, comparatively a new term, not a new activity, has its roots in mythology and history. Two texts are chosen from two different epochs to evaluate their dealings with terrorism. Ramcharit Manas is much longer than The Flame. At places both have the same scenes that are caused by terrorists who belong to no caste, creed, class and religion. Both the poets have their own enigmatic ways of presenting their views. Tulsi Das presents the blood bathed scenes in a language that is no ugly, while Stephen Gill according to his own tenets and time quibbles the rules of poetry to bring to the surface the ugliness of human nature. Both rhymesters have culled their material with fervor to bring out the situations of their times to condemn brutal minds and tongues. The study of human nature in both the texts appears to be a part of ethnology. Both have used zoomorphism to intensify their ideologies of terrorism. This takes physical form in Ramchartmanas while a psychological form in The Flame. These demons fulminate against their co-workers to deliver harangue or jeremiad to achieve their ends in Tulsi Das.

Many studies have been done on Ramcharit Manas and many papers and a book have been written on the Flame to reveal the land of their wonders. One common thread that links them is the anguish of sensitive souls who are continually tortured by “the avatars of savagery” (The Flame 48). Terrorism is a war caused by a religiously motivated group attempting to spread its faith by violence. The Muslim Conquest, The French War of Religion, and The Crusades are frequently cited as historical examples.

The Muslim concept of Jihad, which means “to struggle” is from Arabic with a combative aspect was set down in the 7th century. From 7th to 17th century, Indian history is infested with Muslim invasions. Several rulers persecuted their Hindu subjects also by destroying temples and by giving more powers to Muslims rather than giving equal power to every Indian. The Islamic conflict in India and between religions can be traced in these events (Martin). Andrews Sinclair in his book takes a detailed trip through the dark side of humanity from Muslim assassins and the Crusades to Timothy Mcveigh and Osama bin Laden (Sinclair). In January 2005 Patna Daily stated that the early Muslim invaders crossed the Hindukush mountain range (literally meaning “ kill Hindus” in Farsi) in Afghanistan to kill the Hindus on the other side. They killed them in thousands. The rest of the terrified people converted to Islam. They came to be known as Afghans (Patnadaily).

Muslim invasion started in India centuries before Ramcharit Manas was written. The epic was commenced in 1574 while The Flame is produced in 2008. There is a wide temporal gap between these two texts. So some glaring contrasts are obvious. Still there are certain similarities that cannot be overlooked in connection with terrorism. Though Tulsi Das has never used the word terrorism in its modern sense, the word itself made its appearance in the language in the Middle Ages. Genghis Khan, Timur, Mohammad Gazani, Nizams, Lodhi dynasty, Tughluq dynasty and Mongols persecuted Hindus. Tarikh-i-Firuzshah is a historical record that attests to the systematic persecution of Hindus under his rule. Thus, all historical evidences might have left ineffaceable mark on Tulsi Das’s poetic soul and he sang the saga of human suffering in the same fashion as Stephen Gill sings today when humanity is still suffering from unholy hands.

In Ramcharitmanas, the poet writes his foreword in verse, and begins with invocation to gods and goddesses to help him in his attempt to write a great epic. The Flame, an epical poem, also germinates with an invocation. Both the poets invoke their deities to have inner peace and strength to complete their projects. Both the poets extol the virtues of their respective deities. Stephen Gill sings in the praise of his Flame which is symbolic of warmth, compassion, God, peace and many more things: “

You are the imperishable harmony
that reaps unparalleled prosperity (The Flame 32)

In the same way, Tulsi Das says:

I pray to Saraswati and Ganesha
who live in letters, suggestions, versification and Rasa (Ramcharitmanas 12)

In the opening section, Stephen Gill invokes the flame to grant affection and peace:

You emerge as a wave of warmth
muffling me in the arms
of your affection. (The Flame 37)

Tulasi Das invokes many things, including a mentor, using powerful metaphor and simile. The words of a guru are compared to a flame that throws away darkness. Thus, Flame is praised in both the epics in one way or the other. Tulsi says:

I bow at the lotus feet of my veteran
a god and a sea of kindness
having human shape of maven,
I stoop to the guide
whose words are rays of the sun
that annihilate the ignorance
and illusion (Ramcharitmanas 3)

Gill seems close to Tulsi Das when he applauds the Flame:

Your eyes
a seaside retreat
where mystic flames reign
and
nature courts the night’s favor
for a feast of peace (The Flame 37)

Tulsi Das eulogizes the flame:

A flame emits from teacher’s toe nail
It is like a light from gem
Remembrance of which enlightens the heart
Rare those who get this reward. (3)

There are evidences of Islamic violence in India. Maulana Abdul Hai writes in his book Hindustan Islami Ahad Mein, Qawwat al Islam Mosque at Delhi, the Mosque at Jaunpur, the Mosque of Qanauj, Jami Masjid at Etwah, and Babri Masjid at Ayodhya are constructed by demolishing lofty Hindu temples (faithfreedom.com). People try to persuade themselves that terrorism is not from any caste, creed, class and religion but they are compelled to believe that most of the time it is because of Muslim fanaticism. Muslim rulers even before Tulsi Das, did not have any respect for Hindu spiritual heads as it is exemplified in the execution of Sikh Guru Arjan Dev (Ibid). Treachery, deception and cruelty are the characteristic traits of Muslim invaders. Concerning the psychological trepidation, both Tulsi Das and Stephen Gill talk of certain breed of fanaticism in their epics. Gill, being in the comfortable zone of Canada, relates his feelings openly, while Tulsi Das could not because of the Muslim hegemony in the country at that time. After the defeat of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, Muslim rulers slaughtered the Hindus, imposed Islam and Jazia (a tax) on those who refused to accept Islam. (Ibid). To avoid any attempt on his life, Tulsi Das depicted both tortured and torturer from the same class and caste.

The evidences of Muslim terrorism are not new. Jihad by Turko- Persian between 980-1033 is a historical evidence of religious fanaticism. They attacked Hindu army disguising themselves in dark clothes at night. This activity was against the fair rules of war of Hinduism but very much practiced in Ramcharitmanas by demons called Nishachar and also by the blood spillers of The Flame. Blood spillers in the Ramcharit Manas and the modern jehadis in The Flame carry the same traits of religious extremism. The antagonists are mentally confused but firm believer in vandalism. They wound the psyche of innocents, adopting a cynical view towards others. Protagonists can not even rebel; they just wait and pray for a power to come for their rescue. Gill says:

From the bushes of disharmony
leaves fly around
and fall in the pond of mistrust (The Flame 48)

In both epics these calumniators have no sympathy and compassion. They move around in disguise to execute their plots. They deceive others by their sweet but poisoned tongues. Ektanu in Ramcharit Manas deceives Bhanu Pratap and prompts others to fight with him. He brings fatal end to the rule of a kind and just king:

Fort surrounded they
Trumpets blew
And war began
It went on for many days
All his warriors laid their lives
With his brother he heaven went (Ramcharitmanas 161)

In Ramcharimanas, Tulsi Das gives feeble allusions to his view. In those days sacrifice was not religiously allowed but ignorance led people to do it. Though the food on the large was non vegetarian and yajnas were never followed by sacrifices. Defilation of fire pits and sacred rituals by dropping flash pieces in or at the holy sanctum seems to be very close to modern terrorism where body pieces are scattered in the Flame:

There was an arm and a head
and a woman’s leg
from the knee down
the rest was buried under the rubble.
A body appeared
to have been through
a meet grinder.
There was an open chest cavity
beside a headless torso (The Flame 53)

Demons in Ramcharitmanas do not have compunction to drop meat pieces in fire pits. Iconoclasm was practiced in the days of Tulsi Das and these days also they try to batter the Flame which is sacred to most religions. Gill and Tulsi—both the poets believe in animadversion to avoid any open conflict with fanatics.

When Tulsi Das wrote his epic in the country of his residence, Islamic intruders had left a record of their barbaric behavior behind. The Moguls had established themselves in India tenaciously and were known as barbarous who practiced vandalism at different times in different forms. Though terrorists are of no recognition yet attention is drawn to the fact that a poet writes from experience and Tulsi was not free at that time. So he meekly gives his characters the creed of the common masses with a different appearance. This appearance may be symbolic for the hegemonic traitors who are equivalent to the maniac messiahs in the Flame.

The Flame carries knowledge, removes darkness and brings warmth. The deity of the Flame has no figure. Those who terrorize humanity in Ramcharitmanas by open force, douse the candle of peace in the Flame. In Ramcharitmanas, insurgents have figures and names while in the Flame they become shadowy characters whose presence is felt but there is no figure to be seen. In both the texts these insurrectionists carry nihilistic views about other creeds. In Ramcharimanas, Tulsi Das wishes long sleep for them because whenever they wakeup they harm others. While Gill wants their inner weakness to go to sleep so they can also worship the beauty of flame.

In both the texts, these archenemies are not easy to be documented because they live in disguise, tread on wrong roads and are true carrier of Kaliyug. Tulsi Das gives various names and forms to these assailants as Harinya Kashyap, Harinyaksha, Khar, Dushan, Ravan, Kumbh Karna, Kal Ketu and more. They draw delight by tormenting others. In The Flame , they have pervading presence and try to carry out their sinister designs by afflicting injuries and mutilating innocents. They all “see their gods in the monster of perversities” (The Flame 40)

These are the emulators of evil who destroy peace and prosperity. The under current of the Flame suggests that these vilifiers are misled individuals who are set to work against humanity. This terrorism has multiplied in the years after Tulsi Das. Gill has a hazy vision about them because of fresh steam rising from spilt blood everywhere:

Who can tell
how they grew the curved nails
of the monstrosity of
their nefarious designs
to damage
the smooth- sailing
ark of freedoms (The Flame 93- 94).

It is obvious that the poet leaves a few things unuttered. It is brain-washing program that help them grow a desire to inflict injury on others. They want to enter a peaceful abode by destroying the peace of others. This is not a new phenomenon. Even Ravan, an evil king, brain-washed his army. He delivers a speech in his court to tell them the way to harm gods. Ravana was ready to unfold his bestiality to put an end to goodness. He wanted to finish even the supreme power:

Only way to kill gods these
I explain hark please
Yajnas and shraddhas and feasts
Obstruct all O my brethren beasts. (Ramcharimanas 166)

Here Ravana brain-washes his followers to prepare them to hinder normal activities as the traitors in the Flame do. Both the texts give a hint of Islamic extremism. Like imprisoned Flame in the modern age, Ravana imprisoned all the goodness of the world. Ram tried to save the world from demons.

However, terrorism is a marginal issue in Ramchrit Manas which has other issues to deal with, while in the Flame terrorism is the central issue that is meticulously dealt with. Nowhere in both the texts traducers abdicate their activities of turning the world into abattoir.

In Ramcharit Manas these terrorists are physically aberrant and in The Flame they are mentally aberrant. With the enunciation of canaille activities they produce holocaust. These disingenuous fellows carry their mendacious designs carefully to create havoc as Ravana in Ramcharitmanas and many nameless brute in The Flame do. They remove percussion cap from their inner conscious and do not care for lucid moments. There is astray bestiality everywhere. Humanity is perplexed. No integrity is seen. Men are preying on men. Personal universe of every individual inhabitant is surrounded by terrible searing pain.

Tulsi Das and Stephen Gill both long for the peace that is shattered by some misled individuals. Demons in Ramcharit Manas and maniac messiahs in the Flame want to secure a place for themselves in heaven. Psychological ground in both the plots appears similar. In The Flame they want to enter heaven by unfolding barbaric activities and so do the demons in Ramcharit Manas. Both inflict lasting injuries on the face of this world but want a paradise for themselves.

Both the poets have undaunted trust in supreme power and go forth to narrate the story of human suffering. Tulsi Das names the avatars of savagery as he advances in his epic, while these specific avatars become generalized in the Flame. Mental agony of both the poets can be speculated. On one hand, Gill gives them symbolic appearance. On the other, he leaves them nameless to avoid any conflict of religious nature. Sensitive eyes and ears can see and listen to the same destructive tune on which the dance of persecution was unfolded in India even before 1100 AD when Muslim invasions started.

Those who are with human limbs but of enormous size in Ramcharitmanas are reduced in physical appearance to come to close to the real inhabitants of the earth in the Flame. Tulsi gives them names and can be numbered. They were capable of crushing humanity under their giant feet. According to the law of evolution they increase in number in The Flame, lose their physical abnormality and start harming others by living with them and taking them in confidence. Now they are:

The locusts of threat
shadow the crops of shelters (The Flame 48)

In Balkand of Ramcharit Manas, devils plan secretly to kill human beings. One group want to kill other group. In the war between Bhanu Pratap and other kings many innocent people die. This game of revenge does not end, becoming generational. One dies to return in another form to torture others. They know the art of disguise. They enjoy their sadistic activities:

Fearsome and wicked all demons
Who troubled Gods and humans
Unfold sudden commotion they
Disguise in many way (Ramcharitmanas 167)

Their huge form has been reduced in The Flame. Now these human figures do many uncouth activities to terrorize humanity. Stephen Gill says:

And the driving rains of discomfort
lash the denuded twigs of hope (The Flame 48)

Tulsi starts his epic with the invocation of poly deities while Gill invokes the mono deity, the Flame. Multiple gods merge into one and ultimately only one supreme power remains and Tulsi calls Him Ram. However, “Avatars of savagery” of Ramcharit Manas are the same as those of the Flame who “Mow down the towers of routine.” (48) Tulsi talks of the speech of these demons that is no less than a bomb exploded in the Flame. Their words and action produce the same scene and havoc as produced in the Flame after an explosion. They are cruel and animal like who do not think of others:

They all were cruel, terrible, vicious
Merciless, thoughtless, devious
Malevolent wicked were known
Inexplicable account of it
Deeds were dubious they perform (Ramcharitmanas 162)

As robots, terrorists will do anything for their masters. 9/11 attack on world trade center and 26/11 attack on Mumbai are a few examples of what happens world wide. In the Flame, Stephen Gill employs the figure synecdoche and writes for the same destruction:

The hostile hands have stolen
the first of the summer warmth (The Flame 49)

Demons in Ramcharitmanas have the same traits as maniac messiahs in the Flame:

No sympathy ever they dreamt
Seeing his race his face beamed (Ramcharitmanas 165)

A scene from the Flame is very near to the scene in Ramcharitmanas. Demons set a village on fire if :

They found cow or Brahmin
Set on fire that town
Did they it to uproot religion
Act always in opposition (Ramcharitmanas 168)

Demons butcher cows, holy for the Hindus, when they see one. It is also an allusion to religious fanaticism. Even in the past century cow-slaughter caused uproar in the country. Innocent people are cows in the Flame. Fanatics explode bombs and the fire engulfs the whole vicinity, killing innocent people. Every thing comes to a stand still after the destruction caused by maniac messiahs. The normalcy of life is disturbed:

Sparrows, roses and dawns
forgot their songs.
Brutes flickered tongues
over the lips of normalcy (The Flame 50)

In Ramcharitmanas every object in the universe feels bewildered. No one dares to stop these activities perpetrated by some one physically stronger than they are. They all have forgotten their own freedom and become slaves of Ravan. Scenes of destruction are the same in both the texts. Shri Ram on his 14 year of exile visits different places in the forest. Protagonist in the Ramcharit Manas sees scattered bones and asks the reason:

Beholding heap of carcass,
In mild tone he asks.
Devoured demons all these sages
Wet his eyes with tint of rage (Ramcharitmanas 614)

There are some similarities in both the epical projects. None of these projects is a story of family enmity. Ramcharitmanas is closer to the Flame also for the reason that both carry a story of mass destruction by demonic figures. Felony against humanity is perpetrated by those savages who do not have any sympathy for others, except for their own people. It gives the allusion that the crime is against a group, class and caste by another group, class and cast which is based on intolerance. This group wants to envelop the world in its own creed by annihilating people of other faiths. Because they do not believe in peace, they set ablaze the routine normalcy of daily life. They snatch away the little joys and happiness from the itinerary of life by inflicting indelible injuries around. The story of the Flame is very similar to Ramcharitmanas where Ram sees bones scattered. The poet of The Flame also sees the similar gruesome sight of blood and bones, loss and demise, cries without any commiseration. Readers encounter in this story the crimes that are done against those who are law-abiding and blameless, who try to preserve integrity at any cost, and work hard to keep peace visible by their untiring efforts. A scene in the Flame is as heinous as above mentioned scene in Ramcharitmanas:

Many lost their eyes,
ears and fingers
bones broken and twisted
rambled in shock
among the debris and dead bodies (The Flame 52)

In both stories, the androids who offend robotically think of securing a serene place for themselves in the palace of God. They appear in the stories wearing different masks. Their apparel can mislead any human being as they improve upon them from 16th century to 21st century to make them suitable for their maligned minds. Their modus operandi also undergoes a considerable change. In Ramcharitmanas they attack in disguise but sometimes they fight face to face and people come to know who their enemies are but in The Flame they are secured in the shape of car bombs, suicide bombers and many more. This system perplexes people who do not know their enemies. The open conflict in Ramcharitmanas has taken the nature of guerrilla war for an unholy intention.

The scenes of lamentation go on for a considerable long time in both the texts. This dirge is very intense and more profound in The Flame than in the Ramcharit Manas. At a point in Ramcharitmanas even earth feels suffocated by increasing crimes. She laments the loss of purity and religion and consequential loss of peace. She relates the condition to the gods who are there to protect her in physical form. This provision reverses in The Flame as there is only an abstract idea of peace. No protection in physical form is provided. This is very evident that the hope is in the form of the Flame. It is more significant and intense than the hope in Ramcharitmanas because the crime in the Flame has grown graver than the earlier crimes.

In The Flame all innocent spirits lament for the loss of their kith and kin. They feel strong pangs. People look for the rescuers to come to save but they are also bewildered and look for their lost loved ones. The scene that wets the eyes of a reader is of a woman:

A woman on the street
rested charred and dead (The Flame 54)

Mother who is crying for her kids leaves us aghast. The infinite barbarity of modern demons has swelled up many folds in the Flame than in the Ramcharitmanas:

A young woman
head swathed
was crying for her kids (The Flame 54)

In Ramcharit Manas, Meghnad performs an unholy yajana to gain power to harass others. In the same manner the demons in the Flame perform yajanas by inflicting injuries on others. This killing in the name of religion is considered sacrificial performance, yajana, by these demons. Demons are now trained and brain- washed in such a way that they look at this mass killing as a glorious work. They offer kafirs (nonbelievers) as sacrificial object to their gods to secure a place in paradise. Mohamed Atta, Marwan al- Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Ramji Binalshibh and Hani Hanjour, the accused of 9/ 11 attack on WTC, had an idea to secure a place in the kingdom of God. The glint of same ritual is seen when Meghnad performs yajana and offers blood and animal to please god. This again is an indicator of the fact that the poet has all the intentions of hinting towards those who believe in such type of offerings and want to establish their dominance on others. Wherever these demons go they sacrifice blood and buffalo. (Ramcharitmanas 829)

In both the texts demons justify their hostility. This justification again has deep roots. The inscriptions on some places of worship glorify and justify the act of barbarism (faithfreedom.com). Meghnad in Ramcharit Manas vanishes, then comes, hits, kills and vanishes again like modern maniac messiahs who also employ the same trick. They unfold the dance of destruction and disappear to materialize their malice somewhere else. This leads to the conclusion that certain maniac messiahs openly support the criminal acts of loot, plunder, rape, murder, torment, torture and destruction. They are given proper protection by their human lords who brainwash them to cover the earth with blood:

Arrows when fly like wind,
Demon disappeared leaving no tint (Ramcharitmanas 830)

As Ram gives a message of hope, so does the Flame to every wounded heart. Gill says:

You knock at the doors
of the ruins of my house / modestly sit beside me (The Flame 116)

Both the texts end with hope to restore peace. Ram destroys the demons that disturb the whole world. Flame gives the message that ultimately peace will reign the world. The sovereignty of it will be praised. The maligned motives which are trying to rule the world for centuries will be nipped in the bud. It gives the message that malice will not be fulfilled. In both the texts every inner self worships the same power:

Inside the dwelling
of my undying devotion
I venerate happy memories of you (The Flame 120)

Both poets go forth with a torch in hands. Flame and Ram both refer to the same power that restores peace, love and warmth in this world:

Flame
is the binding force
for families, planets
every atom
and every part of every individual
life disintegrates
where the rays of flame
do not reach (The Flame 135)

Ramcharitmanas ends with the message that Ram and his name are the forces which give Punya:

Undo sins
Bring salvation
Gives science and devotion
It caresses like gentle waters
Those who dive in it
Do not burn in the
Heat of hell like weed (Ramcharitmanas 1031)

Both the poems postulate the clash between flame and darkness, good and evil, gods and demons and day and night. Both poets present social, cultural, psychological generational tensions between two opposed forces. Every body in the world longs for peace. All want to end the tale of woes and so do the poets. Both the epics come to an end with the last thing that comes out of Pandora’s Box. The hope always provides time for pause and breath. The connotation of the Flame is established even by the steps taken by the people after assault. Tribute was paid to the deceased by burning candles. These candles symbolize the impending peace, and hope that there will be peace as it was in Ramcharit Manas after Ram killed Ravan. Hope for peace will always remain. People will come together to stand against any barbarity and to take all possible steps to keep the flame burning.

Works Cited:

Primary Sources

1.Gill, Stephen. The Flame. Vesta Publications Ltd., Canada: 2008.
2. Goswami, Tulsi Das. Ramcharit Manas 140th edition. Geeta Press, Gorakh Pur: 2003.

Secondary Sources

1. Martin, Sicker (2002), The Islamic World in Ascendancy: From the Arab Conquest to the Siegeof Vienna, Praeger.

2. .Muslim Conquests.Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muslim_Conquests&oldid=314941069

3. Sinclair, Andrews. An Anatomy of Terror: A History of Terrorism. Pan Macmillan, 2004.

4. The Cause and Solution of Terrorism. faithfreedom.com. http://www.factsoverfiction.com/index.html

5. www.patnadaily.com/readerswrite/2005/jan