‘I am curious to hear how you are going to defend Ram, the husband, and Ram, the king,

for having sent his pregnant wife Sita to exile due to baseless rumours!’ quizzed Maanav.

‘To understand why Ram did it, we must understand the standard that Ram had set for

himself and Sitaji as the leaders. He knew that if the public viewed them as slaves of lust

and devoid of morality, then those were the values they would also try to live by. Even

today, we often see the public defend their wrong acts by citing examples of wrongdoing by

leaders!’

‘That's true, VR! I know many people who say there is nothing wrong with breaking laws, since many politicians also regularly indulge in illegal activities.’

‘Right, Maanav, so Ram knew that if he had to win the people’s trust once again, he had to

exemplify the values that he wanted people to follow. So, he chose to part with Sitaji

so that people would have no excuse to stray from the path of Dharma! By this one act,

he put an end to all rumours and showed that for Ram the king, his people mattered more

than any other personal relationship!’

‘Hmm! I can understand, but what about Ram, the husband? Didn’t he have a duty towards

his wife? She had already borne so much difficulty, and on top of that, she was

pregnant! Wasn’t she also a citizen of his kingdom, who was subjected to injustice due to

King Ram’s decision?’ argued Maanav!

‘He definitely had a duty towards his wife, and this decision also made sure that part was

taken care of. Before Ram’s conversation with Bhadra, Sita had expressed a desire to live

with the sages, which Ram had agreed to fulfil. So, Ram did not randomly abandon Sita; he made sure that she was left in the proximity of Rishi Valmiki’s ashram, where she would

get an excellent atmosphere to stay and raise their children.’

‘Well, that makes sense, but what about Sita’s rights as a citizen?’

‘Sita was not a general citizen of Ayodhya. She was also the Queen and thus an important

part of leadership. So, Sita also had a role in making sure Ayodhya stayed on the path of

Dharma. In fact, when Sita comes to know of Ram’s decision, she categorically tells

Lakshman that she stands by it and even sends a message to Ram not to be harsh with

people, as they depend on Him. That also shows Sita’s leadership qualities!’

‘Wow, VR! These are the kind of role models that we need in Bharat today. I know we have

had a long discussion, but can you tell me, in essence, the principles of Ram’s style of

Leadership?’

To be continued…