The Forgotten Land of Sita: Mithila Awaits for Ram Rajya
Like everyone in the country, Maithils (Mithilavasis) are also jubilant and waiting for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. From the beginning of Janmabhoomi Andolan Maithils have played an imminent role. We must not forget the men of Darbhanga who played an instrumental role in giving much-needed momentum to the Janm Bhoomi Andolan. For the rest of the world, it would be a temple of Ram Lala. For us, for Maithils, it is a Grih-Pravesh (housewarming) of our Pahun (Son-in-law). You must have seen that Sanesh (goodies) Maithils have sent for their Pahun Sri Ramchandra. The day Sanesh-Bhar left for Ayodhya, the sweets and fruits market of Sitamarhi was empty in the morning. For those who are unaware of Sanesh, In Mithila, we have a tradition of sending goodies to our daughters for every occasion of their lifetime. And we kept that tradition by sending goodies on Griha-Pravesh, the inaugural ceremony of Ram Mandir. Along with this, Mithilavasi also sent beds, mattresses, pillows, and other household items. Doesn’t it sound too personal? Yes, it is. For us, Ram is our relative. The Pran-Pratishta has given us the opportunity to celebrate and cherish a milestone that every Mithilavasi considers a personal affair and eagerly want to visit Ayodhya as soon as possible.
Ayodhya has emerged as an international city with world-class amenities and the backing of state and central government and all ram bhakts. However, the Mithila, the birthplace of Sita, is still waiting for its Ram Rajya. Poverty, floods, lack of infrastructure and education have wrenched the Mithila across the region. Once Mithila used to be considered as Gyan bhumi (land of knowledge), but today it lacks a good education. Today, no girl gets the opportunity to become like Sita. This article does not have any intention to demean or belittle the celebration. On the obvious risk of being considered as political commentary, it only wants to seek attention to the plight of Mithila.
Mithila was the first region of the subcontinent that witnessed partitioning. Unlike Punjab and Bengal, it did not get due attention. In 1816, Britishers, without considering the history, and reality on the ground, made a line between the Mithila after the Gorkha-Anglo war. However, despite falling under the sovereignty of the two countries, the people of Mithila remained united. Sita and Ram in both countries are equally relevant, worshipped and loved. Due to the 1816 treaty of Sugauli, the capital city of Raja Janak, Janakpur fell into Nepal, and the birthplace of Sita, which is now known as Sitamarhi, became part of India. Before moving further, I just want to clarify that there is no dispute between India and Nepal, both places come under the Mithila and apart from this there are many places that are scattered across the border and easily accessible. For example, Panth Pakar, the place famous for the tree underneath Doli of Sita, stopped for the first time to take a rest and Phulhar village (in Madhubani district) which is considered as the garden where the first time Sita and Ram saw each other. I can bet that you may not have heard about this place earlier if you are not from Mithila.
The modern Mithila is waiting for her Raja Ram to come and emancipate it from the clutches of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, political apathy, and ignorant leaders. Just like Ram did with the Ahilya. When Ayodhya resonated and became mainstream in Politics, only then did the current government of Bihar get out of the KumbhKaran-Nindra and announced an inadequate fund for the development of Sita’s birthplace in Punaura, Sitamarhi. But does it make any difference for the Mithila? I doubt it. I doubt that any half-hearted and election-based decision is going to make any difference for the people of Mithila. I doubt this because the cabinet minister of the Bihar government who held the ministry of tourism in the NDA-2 govt, was an elected MLA from Sitamarhi constituency and despite this, he did nothing for this temple town. So, I doubt that a government that has blatantly ignored Mithila suddenly can make any changes for real.
In the polity of Bihar, Magadh has overshadowed Mithila’s development. While Patna has a per capita income of ₹131100, Sitamarhi has only ₹22100. The perennial problems of flood, hunger, lack of opportunity and political apathy have forced the people of Mithila to migrate. It is not Bihar that is suffering from underdevelopment, it is Mithila. It is refreshing that the land of Buddha gets attention and development projects. But it is equally important to develop the land of Sita. Mithila is still waiting for Ram Rajya.
You must have heard Prime Minister Modi’s message that he released before starting the special Anusthan for Pran-Pratistha. He used the slogan “Siyavar Ram Chandra ki Jai”, instead of the usual “Jai Sri Ram”. This slogan creates optimism for me. A few opposition leaders have raised alarm over using a kind of slogan that deliberately removes Sita from discourse and makes Ram look aggressive for political gain. We, Mithilavasis don’t differentiate between “Jai Sri Ram” and “Siyavar Ramchandra ki Jai”. While we acknowledge that Jai Sri Ram is a war cry for Kshatriya Ram. We also do not hesitate to claim Ram by raising Siyavar Ramchandra ki Jai. I just wanted you to notice that Siyavar means the husband of Siya. Needless to say, political commentary over the slogans does not impact us. But forgetting Siya and Mithila does.
Stay tuned for the next piece, where I will recommend a list of books written from Sita’s perspective.
