Why Malice towards Ravan once and for all?

Why Malice towards Ravan once and for all?
As the popular message goes around, Dussehra is a reminder of the consequences of fooling around with somebody else’s wife. True indeed. Since time immemorial Ravan has been paying the consequences of his deed. He is being immolated, thrashed and laughed upon endlessly. He is being made the scapegoat of venting one’s anger and ire. Year after year he is humiliated with his effigies burnt amidst much fanfare.
The point to ponder over here is does he deserve all the treatment which he has got? In the times where people like Kasab get to live a luxurious life in prison and law attorneys arguing that capital punishment is inhuman and barbaric, why Ravan gets to live with his crime forever?
Even the law says that you cannot punish the culprit for the same crime twice. Why is his crime being freezed upon and punishment fixed for good?
If we leave Ravan aside and talk about Kumbhkaran and Meghnath, are they paying the price of being loyal to their king and country? Would they have been revered if they would have chosen to betray their homeland and chosen to aid with the almighty? If that is the case then why is Vibhishan still termed as a traitor?
As the story goes, during the war between Ram and Ravan, Kumbhkaran was awakened from his slumber and was given the orders to fight against Ram on the wish of his elder brother. Being a visionary he had foreseen the future that they would have to pay a heavy price as Ram had divine powers. When he tried to convince his brother for the same he was laughed upon and termed a coward. In the end he had no choice but to succumb to the wishes of his king and senior. He dutifully did what was expected out of him. Does his action deserve the kind of dishonor from the present generation for whom the ideas of obedience and loyalty have gone to the winds?
It is ironic that if we ask the youngsters to tell who was Vibhishan and Meghnath, 50% of them would be blank. But when it comes to pelting stones on someone’s character, they leave no stones unturned. They might not know who Ravan was, but they still love to throw stones at him and have their share of fun. Isn’t it hypocrisy at its zenith?
With changing times, many notions and beliefs of religion are changing. The rise of atheism and modern thinking has made the people question the age-old practices of religions. The beliefs are challenged and reformed. It is high time to acquit our very own Ravan and give a character modification as he was also a great scholar and a spirituous man. So much so that Ram asked his younger brother Lakshman to obtain Ravan’s “words of wisdom” when the vanquished king was nearing his death. He deserves his share of penance and reverence for his knowledge and wisdom.