B.T. Lalitha Nayak’s controversial remarks on Ramayana and Mahabharata spark outrage

B.T. Lalitha Nayak: In a controversial statement, noted rebel writer B.T. Lalitha Nayak has criticized the characters of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, calling figures like Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Ravana as “idealized villains” and questioning the moral teachings associated with them.

Speaking at a seminar held at AVK Women’s College in the city on Sunday, Nayak said that Lord Ram, who is revered by millions as the ideal king, is depicted in the Ramayana as someone who abandoned his wife Sita based on mere suspicion.

“He asks his brother Lakshman to abandon Sita in the forest, showing a lack of trust. This is not the behavior of an ideal person,” Nayak stated. She also criticized Lakshman for blindly following his brother’s orders, despite it being a moral lapse. “Lakshman had the power to stop the cruelty, but he did not,” she added.

Further, Nayak took aim at Ravana, the demon king, saying that despite being portrayed as a mighty warrior, he kidnapped Sita, which was nothing short of theft and abduction. “These characters have been portrayed as ideals, but they are not,” she remarked.

Nayak also turned her attention to Mahabharata, claiming that Dronacharya, the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas, did not teach Ekalavya, a tribal boy, only to later demand his thumb as Guru Dakshina, destroying Ekalavya’s future.

Her comments have sparked a heated debate, with several activists and scholars condemning her remarks as disrespectful to Hindu epics. Nayak, however, maintains that these critiques are meant to challenge conventional thinking and promote rationality over blind faith.

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