The epic penned by sage Valmiki, is the tale of good’s victory over evil. With the mythical characters, Ram (representing right) and Ravan (symbolizing evil) woven in the ballad in such a way that both seem to be right in their won ways!
But when it comes to decide who’s right, then people tend to fall in two categories. One supporting Ram while other completely ignoring Ram’s importance in this tale, since they look at it as another piece of self -enhancement.
Anyhow people feel that the character of Ram is highly self-centered and fascist. And to support their view they quote the incident when Ram simply sends Sita away when a man passes some stupid comments about Sita’s fidelity and chastity. Such is the irony, to prove himself the just king, he sends Sita away instead of punishing that man for disparagement of Sita’s character. And to add more to her woes, asks her to give “agni-pariksha’, wherein she is made to sit on fire and prove herself worthy of Ram’s credence.
They even point that Ravan was in no way wrong for Sita’s abduction. Which brother will sit quietly, after some stranger has slashed his sister’s nose. That way, Ram had no right to rage a war on Lanka.
Moreover, after capturing Sita, Ravan could have done anything to her but he waited for her consent (enough to show his right and just nature).
Furthermore, a group of people even admits that every act of Ram, was to glorify his own image.
Who can forget his unfair way of killing Bali. On the contrary, Ravan never adopted such illegal and unfair ways to get rid of anyone. However, Ravan always took good care of his subjects. His people were safe and leading a life of harmony. Never even a single soul, except his traitor brother, showed any kind of skepticism in him, unlike subjects of Ram.
And why was “Ashwamegh Yajna” organized, wasn’t it done just to show his might to the whole of the world. Whereas Ravan was happy in his territory and never even thought to expand though he had a huge army at his disposal and even Yaksha’s were scared of him and acknowledged his intelligence and power.
And now the question arises if Ram forced Valmiki to write about him, even this fact is open to discussion. May be he must have thought people will surely belive what a sage will write therefore he (being the king) asked Valmiki to write about him so the world may remember him as the righteous and affectionate king forever. But right now, people even doubt if any king with this name even reigned so the whole fact is left to debate.