REASON FOR KILLING BALI IN SUCH DEPLORABLE MANNER

To bring Vaanars in mainstream civil society, it was important that Vaanars fight the sophisticated army of Lanka and end the myth that Vaanars were animals or some kind of monkeys and bears

Lot of queries is being received about the manner in which Bali was killed. And the reason for this is very clear; readers are not totally satisfied with the answers they have. 
Most of the queries that we are receiving accept that Ramayan is history of Treta Yug, and also agree that, after accepting Ramayan as history, every reader has to understand that Vaanars, the evolved humans, were being treated as ‘animals’ by the civilized world, and that they were not even recognized as humans. 

As such the efforts of Shri Ram to bring them in main-stream civilized life could and would have had some ‘so called grey areas’, where perhaps, Ram could have done much better. Bali VADH was one such incident. 

‘Whatsoever may be the explanation and a very pro society explanation too, the killing of Bali by Ram by decisively interfering in a man to man combat from outside, and that too without warning cannot be accepted’, were some of the feelings.

OK; we need to discuss this, ‘whatsoever may be the explanation and a very pro society explanation too, the killing of Bali by Ram by decisively interfering in a man to man combat from outside, and that too without warning cannot be accepted’.

Vaanars were primitive humans, and they had developed through the natural process of evolution in forest. They were settled in forest, and had made rules for taking care of problems, which were quite common in any growing society then and even today. One such rule for settling any dispute was challenging the opposite party for man to man combat. Please do not view this in isolation. Relate this with known history of the world. We will find that even 200 to 300 years earlier this practice was quite common in Europe, America, and Africa. Social infrastructure takes time to grow, and become just and reasonable, both for the victim and the ‘so called’ offender. Initially during the growth of the societies, the powerful invariably have advantage; after all rules were being made by them only. The powerful are the ones who provide direction to the growth of society. 

Bali was known for his bravery, not only in Vaanar tribe but in the entire human society. He had even defeated Ravan. He was the king of the largest settlement of Vaanars, and enjoyed respect among all Vaanar settlements. Yet this same Bali had forcibly kept the wife and children of his younger brother, and had thrown Sugrive out of Kishkindha settlement. As per the rules of these settlements, Sugrive had no other option other than to challenge Bali for a man to man combat.

Ram and his team was involved in imparting civil and military training to these Vaanar tribes living in forest for the last 13 years or so. It is a known historical fact that Ram NEVER visited any settlement and as such had shown total refrain from interfering in their day to day activities, and administration of these Vaanar kingdoms. He must have felt that this was the best way to take them forward. Perhaps this was required too, as to grow as a civil society, Vaanars had to find their own solutions to complex civil problems that would surface from time to time. Yes, maybe, we can speculate that Ram could have tried for a negotiated settlement, in view of his reputation, and might have been successful in getting restored wife and children of Sugrive, but justice and an example of what should be the result of such crime, would not have been achieved. An opportunity to create an example for the entire Vaanar tribe would have been lost.

There is also some evidence, though weak, which indicate that Ram did made it known, that he could punish Bali by death if he did not restore wife and children of Sugrive, and/or if he tried to kill Sugrive. And this gets support from the conversation of Tara, wife of Bali and Bali, immediately before the combat, where they converse and discuss the possibility of Ram killing Bali. 

We can also accept that it was known that Bali would never have committed his troops to fight against Ravan. But in order to ensure smooth passage of Vaanars in mainstream civil society, it was important that Vaanars fight the sophisticated army of Lanka. Lankan forces were equipped with sophisticated weapons, and fight and win would end once and for ever the myth that Vaanars were animals or some kind of monkeys and bears. 

So Ram did not have other options. The only way he could have provided justice to Sugrive was by ensuring that Sugrive was not killed by Bali, and secondly, to ensure that Vaanars get their due place in human society, it was important that the future king of Kishkindha supported Ram in his fight against Ravan of Lanka, by committing his troops and troops of other friendly Vaanar settlements. 

This post is linked to RAM SUGRIVE FRIENDSHIP PACT.. AN ANALYSIS as it try to answer the queries pertaining to this