In this woman-centric poem, Neelam praises Ravana for his strong character, exclusively for Different Truths.

O Ravana! I bow to you!
With your sword’s might
And your valour’s mysticism,
You could have forced Sita for anything,
And yet, to treat her with respect you opted,
Gave her a choice to decide
And venerated her “No”!

O Ravana! So different you were!
It’s just that the times were also atypical
And despite the innocence of Sita,
Chastised she was,
Even by her husband own,
And, to live a life in exile, forced-
People blamed you for her condition,
No one impugned Ram!

O Ravana! How happy I would be
To see you come back to earth now!
The land, in tatters lies,
And women are not respected anymore-
Her “No” is most often not treated as a “No”
And no one honours her now by asking
If she desires something!

Photo from the Internet