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Onam editorial makes case for righteous rule over power
A Deccan Herald Onam editorial argues that prosperity flows from righteous rule, not ceremonial power. It compares King Mahabali's just governance under the Onam legend to modern constitutional ideals, and contrasts it…
A Deccan Herald Onam editorial argues that prosperity flows from righteous rule, not ceremonial power. It compares King Mahabali's just governance under the Onam legend to modern constitutional ideals, and contrasts it with Vamana's 'theocratic' claim over material dominion. The piece interprets Mahabali's willing acceptance of banishment as a mark of confidence in one's own identity.
The editorial links this to Jesus's teaching to 'give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's,' citing it as a call to separate temporal authority from divine justice. It invokes Gandhi's favourite Bible verse on hungering for righteousness, and notes Jesus was called a demon, just as Mahabali was demonised. The piece concludes that Onam's message is that justice can never be destroyed, and that the divine king will return to wipe away every tear.
The essay does not reference any current political event or legislative debate. It is a standalone spiritual-political reflection timed for the Onam harvest festival, which celebrates the return of the righteous king Mahabali.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Onam's core narrative, Mahabali's annual return, has long carried a political subtext in Kerala, where the festival is a state event. CPI(M) and Congress governments have both used it to project secular governance, while Hindutva groups have at times sought to reclaim the festival as exclusively Hindu. The editorial's linking of Mahabali's 'righteous rule' to modern constitutionalism is a deliberate choice in a state where the BJP has struggled to gain footing and where the term 'secular' is fiercely contested. The reference to Jesus paying tax to Caesar, juxtaposed with Gandhi, is the author's way of arguing that spiritual authority and temporal rule are separate, a framing that implicitly criticises any effort to fuse religion and state power. The next test of this idea will come during the 2026 Kerala assembly election campaign, when Onam is used again as a political stage.
Source: deccanherald.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
