Satellite City

Sometime in the second half of 2024 in Bharata

The Director, Vedic Akash Sanshodahan Technology (VAST) got thrilled to the core when he received the call from the Ram Avatar himself. Flush from his third term victory Avatar decided that a pilot-experiment for a Hindu Rashtra needs to be given the nod. So, he had dialled Jumanji, the Director, VAST to immediately start the project. Together they decided that the project would be code named as Marayan. Avatar assured him that fund transfer would take place immediately from the Avatar Cares Fund. No questions would be asked. The trustees of this fund would be in no position to question any deployment of funds as they all had their Achille’s heel and but for this weakness, they would not have become the trustee of such a massive fund. Establishment of such a fund got inspired from the story of Hiranya Kasubu who had done a thousand years of penance and got an indestructible boon from God. At least that was what he had thought and Lord Vishnu outwitted him. In a similar vein Avatar Cares Fund found a loop hole in the law of the land and got legitimised as such. Neither the Right to Information Act nor the Supreme Court could do anything about it. It was flush with funds with no accountability whatsoever. Those who wanted to ingrain themselves to the powers that be generously donated as a safety deposit.

Jumanji lost no time in calling an urgent meeting of his sena (here it refers to VAST officers) and revealed the closely guarded secret about the Marayan project. The idea was to create a satellite city in space for privileged Bharatvasis. It would be heaven above the earth. Nature would be in pristine form with abundance of clean air and water and zero pollution. No crowding. An eclectic mix of European facilities embedded in our sanskriti.

Jumanji added further the question crops up how do we define privilege? Also, the question of constitution for such a city. Obviously, it is an experiment on creation of Hindu Rashtra, a prototype for something that can be scaled up in the Bharat at the earth level itself. Keeping with the times the concept has to be sustainable in all sense of the term.

A bright young scientist Markandeyan, named after the son of Hiranyakasubu referred to above, who was reputed to have mastered all ancient literature got up to speak. We need a NAMU script the one revised from the ancient text to suit our modern needs. Looking to what you have just said I can straightaway rattle off a few points to kick start the discussion.

Privileges: It must be earned; cannot be a dynasty thing. Money is above caste or religion or even morals according to me. So, the one who has made money and who donates to the Avatar Cares fund can be considered as privilege. Such money minded people consist of politicians, honchos, actors, sportsmen and women especially the ones who create a racket with their bat and balls, Godmen and women, sometimes an occasional don too if he is not counting bars in a cellar.

Sustainability: It is a complex affair. One thing that comes up in our mind is that there must be no procreation in the satellite city so that population remains stable. If someone dies replacement comes from the Bharata. Sex is for recreation only. Like the French have done we must distribute condoms to all even the minors. As an emergency measure even the morning after pill. Here one may ask the question ain’t sex among minors, sex between same sex, extra-marital affairs, goes against the Bharatiya culture. The satellite city is not a retirement home for senior citizens (laughter all around). The state must not take a voyeuristic view of her citizens. It is question of harnessing what nature has bestowed upon human beings.

To a round of applause Markandeyan sat down.

Someone asked what about practice of religion in the satellite city?

Jumanji cleared his throat. Our great guru Sri Sri Bhagwat has already said the obvious. All Bharatas are Hindus. This is going to be a prototype of Hindu Rashtra. You may be a Christian or a Muslim you have to subscribe to Hindu Rashtra. Without saying food habits will also have restriction. No one can make beef about ‘no to beef’ eating. In the same vein official language will be Hindi although there won’t be any restriction on speaking other tongues.

Sir, this language aspect is a touchy thing remarked some one from the sena.

No, No exclaimed Jumanji. We have almost completing developing an app which would render translation into a simple exercise. All one has to do speak in any language of your preference and the voice over would come in Hindi. The satellite city is a reverse model of diversity. There will be unity in unitary language, religion.

Do we also create the three pillars of democracy like the legislature, executive and the judiciary. Jumanji gave out a big laugh. Whoever talked of satellite city being a democracy. We are experimenting with the Hindu Rashtra implying a benign monarchy. We have Lord Ram in mind. There will be a vanara sena like scouts who will take care of law and order as if it’s a monkey business.

Suddenly a loud cough was heard. Everyone turned around in the direction of the where the sound of the cough came from. The oldest of the scientists got up to speak. He was considered as the equivalent of Bhishma of Mahabharata fame except that no one took him seriously. But his speech was due and he had to be allowed to speak. He began slowly.

“My dear fellows, from the discussion I gathered that the satellite city is going to some sort of a sanitised city. What will happen to the human touch that is typical of our city in Bharat. They may perform worse in the foreign certified indexes but nevertheless they retain a human touch. Can we imagine any city in Bharata without the milling crowd, din, traffic jam, pot holes at every stretch of the road, people raising families on foot path, strikes, hartal, the ubiquitous pani puri stalls, the overflowing gutter near-by, garbage bins where the lid has been long removed, street dogs, the languorous cow walking in the middle of the road unmindful of the traffic and honking, as if to say I am the cow defacto national animal whether the supreme court likes it or not, sometimes with the tail up openly defecating, as if I care too hoots to your Swachch Bharat, the dirty walls where the men go by and open their zipper, small temples standing right up on the foot path with a pujari at hand ready to serve up a prayer on your behalf enroute to your interview or anything of importance; not to leave out the monsoonal floods where in the weather gods are blamed but not the rich municipality, a citadel of corruption where no Ram Rajya can penetrate; and then won’t one miss the magic of traffic coordination by the police in letting an ambulance pass through in record time carrying a throbbing heart for a heartless citizen on the verge of capture by Lord Yama; again won’t one like to witness the open display of power when a VIP visits the city and the traffic is held in abeyance to let the cavalcade of cars zipping through the roads as if to say all is well with Bharat..

Bhisma equivalent took a water break and to catch up with his breath. It was a gap that Jumanji was looking forward to. He immediately intervened and said that this was only an initial meeting to kick start the process. Bhimaji equivalent had raised valid points apart from Markandeya although they are opposite in views. We need to find a middle path that is unique to our own sanskriti. Let us all mull over what our future satellite city should look like. The meeting stands adjourned for now.

Later in the quietness of the night Jumanji thought of Bhishma like’s advice. There was a ring of truth in it. May be the satellite city should be an eclectic mix of Trishangu heaven created by Sage Visvamitra, the city of joy with a heart: Kolkatta, silicon valley Bengaluru where in there is an APP for everything. He made a mental note to ask Markendeya to study how Viswamitra created Trishangu Heaven and see if there are lessons to be learnt from it.