Old post written in 2011 with new context of TV serial Siya ke Raam.Idiotic TV serial Siya ke Raam frames tribals as Asur or Rakshash. This is how you divide society using popular dharma book.
“the Rakshasas (demons) were portrayed as tribal people, which clearly is a colonial construction propagated by a few scholars. Hindu tradition itself considered Rakshasas as being different species than humans. Yet, the fight between Rama and Lakshmana duo and the Rakshasas headed by Maricha and Subhahu were depicted as a fight between the royal kings and tribal people! Maybe the makers of the serial are too much influenced by the Aryan invasion myth!” [1]
And this is the folly of motion pictures. It can brainwash and inject mind viruses easily.
But if you listen Ramayana, you imagine your own personalized Asur. You focus more on bad qualities of Asur instead dressing and face of the Asur.
This is the reason we must narrate stories to children instead submitting them to TV and Cartoon DVDs.
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Ramanand Sagar famed Ramayana style TV serials are for children below age 15. Unfortunately, such visuals are so penetrating that concepts remain forever with mature Indian adults but only as stories with no significant importance in life.
For example, image of असुर is limited to someone who looks similar to top-left corner of this picture. This is so powerful impression that most of us fail to identify असुर in our society.
Who is 21st century असुर?
असुर(Asura) is a Sanskrit term for a material power. Asuric systems strive for increasing control over the outer and internal environments of man. For the dominated, it leads to a state of emptiness and worthlessness. When things have gone too far, there is revolt and the system collapses. Both communism and radical capitalism are asuric and oppressive systems.
Now, can you identify famous असुरs of our time?
Let me give you examples:
1) All culprits of 2G scam
2) All culprits of CWG scam
3) All corporate companies engaged in control and colonization.
But your kid will see innocent and friendly tribal youth as Asura! All thanks to Siay ke raam type distortions.
[1] http://www.newsgram.com/siya-ke-ram-distortions-lies-and-mockery-of-ramayana/
