Ravana Wins Every Day Except When He Doesn’t!
The 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections became a memorable moment for millions of people across the globe, as the collective power of the people brought several towering egos crashing to the ground in a nation that claims to be the beacon of democracy.
This fall, an important lesson was delivered to world leaders who despise change: Change is inevitable. With time, even the most entrenched political establishments can crumble into dust, making way for a new sun and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
However, the most important question to emerge from this remarkable victory is whether these harbingers of change will successfully challenge the deep-seated realities of today’s world and dismantle a decaying system to build a better tomorrow. Or will they eventually become the very evil they once rallied against?
Despite the doubts surrounding them, one thing remains certain: the eternal struggle between good and evil is far from over. And perhaps, once again, we are witnessing a moment when Ravana is destined to fall.
Does Evil Have a Face?
When we imagine the devil, we often conjure the image of a grotesque human figure with horns and a sinister complexion. Such imagery gives physical form to our understanding of good and evil. But who can we objectively declare evil?
Although there are plenty of candidates, in my not-so-important opinion, evil is a state of mind. Religiously speaking, it could be understood as a form of energy that assumes different names and shapes to pursue its agenda of wreaking havoc upon the human world.
More importantly, those who occupy positions of power are often branded as evil because of the consequences their decisions have on ordinary lives. But does power fundamentally transform people? Does it expose those at the bottom of the hierarchy to the ugliest aspects of human nature, regardless of the backgrounds or intentions of those at the top?
Or is the problem more deeply rooted? Is the system itself designed to reward evil?
And if that is the case, does Ravana win every single day?
Does Power Create or Reveal Ravana?
The ignorance of the rich and powerful is not necessarily a consequence of power itself. Some believe it stems from the erosion of humanity and morality. However, perhaps it could simply be a consequence of the lives they lead. In other words, not everyone perceives the world through the same lens.
I realised this back in college when I simply changed my mode of transportation from buses to the Metro in New Delhi. Suddenly, I found myself encountering far fewer people asking for money to feed themselves. My city had not changed, nor had the struggles of its people. Only my exposure to those struggles had diminished.
Perhaps those in power simply do not understand the realities on the ground, nor do they make an effort to empathise with the very people whose lives they seek to govern. Perhaps their precious time is consumed by dreams of building a legacy and accumulating wealth that will outlive them, much like the ambitions of countless ordinary individuals.
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And perhaps, in their relentless pursuit of money, power, and fame, they trample upon those beneath them. But then, aren’t we all the same? Aren’t we all driven, to varying degrees, by the very ambitions and impulses we so passionately condemn in others?
Aren’t we all, in some way, Ravana?
Alas, Ravana may exist within us all, but only a few hold the power to build a Lanka!
Why Does Ravana Keep Winning?
If we have known Ravana for centuries, why do we continue to let him win? If human weaknesses are universal and have been documented across cultures throughout history, why do societies repeatedly allow individuals to turn those weaknesses into instruments of oppression?
Perhaps the answer lies not in our inability to recognise evil, but in our willingness to overlook it when it serves our interests. We condemn the arrogance of rulers until it is displayed by someone we admire. We question the ambitions of the powerful until those ambitions promise to fulfil our own. And sometimes, in our desperate pursuit of our goals, we forget that we reap what we sow.
After all, how can we knowingly nurture Ravana and expect him to rule like Rama?
How to Defeat Ravana Every Day?
Perhaps the greatest mistake we make is searching for Rama every time we wish to defeat Ravana. We place our hopes in individuals who promise to rescue us from the failures of those who came before them, only to forget that they, too, are human beings driven by ambitions, desires and weaknesses of their own. But if Ravana exists within us all, perhaps the answer does not lie in finding someone incapable of becoming him. Perhaps it lies in creating a world where no individual is powerful enough to impose their worst impulses upon everyone else.
After all, democracy was never meant to be a celebration of those who occupy the throne, but a reminder that the throne belongs to the people. The responsibility of citizens does not end with choosing their representatives; it extends to questioning their decisions, challenging their failures and refusing to surrender their conscience in exchange for political loyalty.
And yet, perhaps the most difficult battle is not the one we fight against those in power, but the one we fight within ourselves. How often do we condemn the greed of the powerful while pursuing our own ambitions without questioning their consequences? How often do we demand justice for ourselves while remaining indifferent to the suffering of others?
Perhaps defeating Ravana requires us to recognise that the struggle between good and evil is not confined to elections, governments or the pages of mythology. It exists in the choices we make, the injustices we tolerate and the power we allow others to exercise in our name.
November 3 may have reminded us that even the mightiest can fall. But whether their defeat becomes a turning point in history or merely another chapter in an endless cycle of power depends on what we choose to do next.
For Ravana does not win because he is invincible. He wins when we stop holding him accountable, especially when he begins to resemble Rama.
