Sibling fight is not uncommon in animal kingdom. In animal world the stronger sibling will not only defeat the weaker one but also would kill and eat them in most occasions. The first born formed baby shark inside the womb of the mother shark is known to eat all yet to hatch eggs inside the womb and other newly formed sharks. Siblicide is quite common among bird of prey, water birds like Heron, Egret etc., and is also present in the world of mammals like Hyena. Such sibling fight occur purely for own survival in animals world and survival alone is the rule and law that prevails in animal world and not love and affection for sibling.
If we look at the history starting from the biblical era, we can find sibling fight to be quite rampant. Cain kills Abel. Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ismael and Isaac’s sons Esau and Jabob, Jacob’s sons Joseph and his brothers, all fought over inheritance. Osiris is being killed by his brother Seth in Egyptian mythology.
In Greek mythology too, Acrisius and Proetus is mentioned to have started their fight when they were inside the womb of their mother. In Roman history also the brother’s fight is well documented where Remus is being killed by Romulus.
The question is why brothers in human society fight for power, money and to inherit father’s legacy instead can’t they discuss and mutually settle the dispute. During all such historic fights between the siblings, the country had slipped to anarchy where lawlessness has become the surrogate mother and has taken over the governance.
Interestingly the Hindu mythology shows a different aspect of relationship between the brothers.
Rama and Lakshmana, Bharata were born to the same father but the mother was different. But still the bondage between them was remarkable and inspiring. Trust, mutual respect, true love and altruism alone kept the bondage of Lord Ram with his brothers and vice versa.
Similarly the 5 Pandava brothers born to same mother but to different father also stood as best example for how brothers should live with respect, love and dignity.
What the state of Tamil Nadu is witnessing today after the demise of Kalaignar is nothing but sibling fight for power. If people of the state really think of the welfare of the state must look for different options which are not yet tested instead of voting for the party that has the history, pride and legacy of destroying the state in the name of Tamil chauvinism.
When two brothers fights for power to prove who is the true prince to inherit father’s legacy it is the state that is going to doldrums if people of the state elects such forces in the coming election.
If we look at the sacred brother–brother relationship from our great mythology such as Ramayana and Maha Bharata and the Hindu culture and compare it with the recent sibling fight in Tamil Nadu for power, we can understand that in recent days the family is not defined by blood, ethics or customs but by power and money.
According to Dharma Shastra, the eldest son has the first right over the family. In that sense, the eldest brother automatically inherits the legacy of the father and who in turn would guide the family in lieu of the late father. By respecting our shastra, the younger brother should voluntarily abdicate his desire for power and must coronate the eldest brother and that is our heritage.
When people fail to respect the law of our ancient tradition and customs that the eldest brother is the one who as per tradition inherits the legacy of the father, such humans admits nothing but the biological truth that they are animals first and only then humans.
In animal world there is nothing called sibling love, loyalty, rivalry and every animal has to compete for food, shelter and mate. But in human world, culture, tradition, customs, values etc., intervenes and set harmony of the society.
The question is that when people who aspire to rule the state when resorts to such fight, what would be the fate of the governance of state if they were given power?
Although Indian law defines all siblings to have equal right over the inherited wealth of the father, Hindu customs and tradition dictates only the eldest to be first heir to the throne of father’s legacy.
The great thinker and philosopher Confucius of China also has suggested that the younger one must always ritually submit to the elder for the sake of social stability.
The day dynasty culture has entered Indian politics, family fight and sibling fight started to ridicule our civility and governance. The state of Tamil Nadu is facing twin dangers. The absence of Amma who was so successful in caging the Dravidian party and which is now trying to grab power and the second danger is the sibling fight of the Dravidian party which in all probability going to destroy the state.
The only option left for the people of the state is to look for an untested leadership and political party which always values and respect Indian-ness and our heritage. Let us work for Rama Rajya.