She was told not to cross the threshold of her
husband’s house. She stepped out, nevertheless, and ended up being rejected by
society. The story of Sita’s rejection forms the controversial conclusion of
the much-revered Hindu epic Ramayana. She was here restricted. This
line is a powerful metaphor for rules. Within the Lakshman-rekha, social
rules apply, and Sita is the wife of Ram. Outside it, she is just a woman for
the taking. Within, Sita is safe. But when she crosses the line, she is abducted.
But what are Rules?!
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We ought not hurt anyone’s feelings and we
should ask permission to borrow other people’s belongings. We should not utter
profanities, we need to abide by the school rules and regulations!..Every
politician follows the rules, and every bureaucrat follows the rules, and every
judge follows the rules. There are many rules to follow!
Some research I did concluded the following:
The
functions of Rules:
(1)
Defending us from evil,
(2)
Promoting the common good-resolving disputes over limited resources,
(3)
Encouraging people to do the right thing.
Up
there, the line was drawn to protect Sita from Ravan.
Rules are important for a society for it serves as
a norm of conduct for citizens. It was also made to provide for proper
guidelines and order upon the behaviour for all citizens and to sustain the
equity on the three branches of the government. Rules are important because it keeps the society
running. Without laws there would be chaos and it would be survival of the
fittest and every man for himself. Not an ideal lifestyle for most part!
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Through rules they
force everyone to behave in a particular way deemed to be good. It is akin to
domesticating farm animals so that they are obedient and productive. And that
is good – for the farmer! But is it good for the animals-captivated in the farm
for the interest of the Farmer?!
But the animals
survive because of the Farmer’s care and nurturing..
But humans are not
oxen or horses or dogs. We think. We love rules when we follow them
voluntarily. When imposed involuntarily, we resist, but ultimately submit, as
submission grants rewards and recognition and keeps away retribution,
punishment and rejection.
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The assumption in
many mindset-especially the crocked ones is that obedience is good. So children
who go to the place of worship as prescribed by the scriptures are good. So
filmmakers who show stories without gender bias are good.
We want a society
where everyone is genuine and authentic and rule-following. An ideal society.
But such a society
we will also find boring. Excitement comes from the thrill, the breaking of
rules, the subversion, the revolution. We are not supposed to jump off
building, but to do so (with a harness) is all what bungee jumping is all about…
Who wants an Ideal
Society anyway?!
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