Vidya Bal (1937-2020)

- January 30, 2020


Celebrated author and social activist, the inimitable Vidya Bal was one of the leading champions of women’s rights in India. She will always be remembered for setting up the Nari Samata Manch back in 1982, a political advocacy group dedicated to fighting for women’s rights and gender equality in India.

In 1989, she began publishing the Marathi monthly magazine, Miloon Saryajani, that took her fight for feminism and gender parity many steps further. She spent the bulk of her life fighting legal battles for women from all walks of life, with a great degree of success. Her most notable legal battles revolved around stopping gender discrimination at places of worship and allowing women entry into said places. Ms. Bal passed away on January 30, 2020, at a private nursing home in Pune.

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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