A 16th-century epic poem based on the life of popular Hindu god Ram is at the center of a huge political row in India. Politicians have been arguing over whether the text is derogatory towards women, as well as Dalits, who are at the bottom of India’s deeply discriminatory caste system. General elections in India are due in a year and politicians from both sides accuse each other of using the controversy over the text to polarize voters along caste lines. Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!