A senior modernistic politician's patriotism and acceptance of ancient cultural traditions and religious beliefs is challenged by the gathering storm of new research and corrosive scientific truths. What will he decide to do?
THE BATTLE OF MATHUR
Extract from Guidebook to Dabaan and the city of Mathur:
History and Religion
The country of Dabaan boasts a rich history stretching across at least four millennia. For nearly three millennia the island continent remained in virtual isolation due to the large expanse of sea separating it from other major landmasses. Extensive trade with the remainder of the world did not develop until approximately a thousand years ago when Dabaan began to trade its elaborately decorated pottery, precious metals and gems. For most of its history the country has been reliant upon agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing. A century and a half ago, the government made a major push for industrialisation.
The modern city of Mathur holds a special place in both the history and hearts of the people of this proud continent. For almost four millennia it has been considered the spiritual or religious capital of Dabaan and as such it is adorned by numerous temples and frequented annually by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims especially during the first three days of the holy month of May when the Battle of Mathur, an ancient conflict, is celebrated by the population. There are colourful enactments of the battle in most cities and towns of Dabaan. Rich savoury and sweet foods are cooked to celebrate the victory over the foreign invaders. In the town of Mathur the people also have a sea harvest festival on the last day of May to celebrate intervention of Haava the Sea God who saved them from the invaders.
The Dabaanians are by and large a deeply religious people who follow the Book of Mathur, which details the adventures of Arindam, the quintessential hero who fought off a major foreign invasion. He is also credited with initiating the process that led to the fashioning of a unified national and ethnic identity from the disparate and warring regions of the island continent.
The Battle of Mathur comprises the major part of the religious text referred to as The Book of Mathur. The sacred text is stylistically a narrative detailing the exploits of Arindam but the final chapter, the Acharan, sets out laws and guidance promoting moral conduct and details correct rituals regarding animal sacrifices and worship. It is believed that after his victory against the invaders from across the southern sea, the warrior hero Arindam was inspired by Shakka the Sun God to set out the laws and values governing human conduct and worship.
The expansive open space under the naked sky was arranged with row upon row of seats. At one end of the rectangular space stood a silent and unlit raised stage. The air was filled with the excited chatter of the crowd and the occasional cry of babies. This after all was to be a public spectacle commemorating the stories of the Battle of Mathur.
For the past four millennia, every year towards the end of May, in every major town or city across the country, some sort of enactment of that seminal event in the history of Dabaan took place. The practice was initially instituted to give heart to a population that needed to make sense of the recent devastation and bind them together as one nation. While the stories that comprised the Book of Mathur had been etched on tree bark and cloth soon after the battle, the public could not access them due to widespread illiteracy. The priestly caste either read from the copies of the sacred texts or recited them from memory for the populace. The enactments of the battle of old made the stories come to life and reinforced the people's idea of national, religious and ethnic identity.
The reason for the tall, very dark-skinned Professor Budhil Daikan being among the noisy audience was the same as all the thousands of people around me. He was present, not in his professional capacity but in his personal capacity as a citizen. He had come to enjoy the ancient and traditional spectacle with his family. It was after all a three-day national holiday and for him an opportunity to celebrate and spend quality time with his family. Like other national festivals, this one too was associated with special foods that he had enjoyed ever since he was a child.
Since cancer had taken his wife four years earlier, his grown-up children and he had made a deliberate effort to close the creeping distance between father and adult offspring carving out their own lives in their own particular ways. Since his wife's demise, Budhil's son and daughter along with his five grandchildren always attended the Mathur festivities with him. When his children had been youngsters he and his wife had participated in the annual Mathur festivities. Ever since Budhil's children had left home to make their own lives, he and his wife had lost the habit of attending the festival of Mathur. His grandchildren attended the event with their parents just as he had done when he was a child. When Budhil lost his wife, the habit of attending was renewed. Now it was a celebration enjoyed by all three generations. While the event was a cultural tradition, for large swatches of the population it was also the foundation of their religious beliefs.
As the sun's rays mellowed enough to permit the ever darkening blue of the sky to dominate, the anticipation of the waiting crowd grew. A while later, slowly but steadily the chant, Mathur, grew ever stronger amongst the impatient audience. Despite the fact that everyone knew nothing would happen until the first stars winked in the sky, the chanting for the show to begin continued. The first hint that the show was about to get underway was the high pitched whiney feedback from loudspeakers. The chants of the crowd was silenced by the sudden illumination of the stage by flood lights. The illuminated scene on stage precipitated a loud cheer from the people who had waited for two hours for the show to begin.
A man dressed in rags, his long hair unkempt and his beard untidy, entered the stage from the left. Hidden in the profusion of hair was a relatively young face with fierce eyes. The audience instantly recognised the figure of Arindam who was the iconic hero of the Battle of Mathur epic. The keen sight of the children in the watching crowds searched for villain of the piece, Druki. She was no ordinary person, but a blood-thirsty demon. The face of Druki peeked from behind a tree watching the hero. The child-demon Druki was disguised as a human girl when she stepped out of her hiding place and caught the attention of the young bearded man. And so began the re-enactment of the first recorded adventure of the hero who slayed a ferocious demon; the circumstances under which he met and married his first wife, and later went on to save his country from invaders from across the sea.
"Mummy if that man is Arindam why does he have long hair and a beard?" asked Chintak, Budhil's youngest grandson of his youngest daughter, Dashin.
Classically in most paintings and even modern posters, Arindam was depicted without a beard and with a shaven head. Holy men and saints kept their hair and beards long to signify their pre-enlightenment phase when Arindam had not yet been chosen and blessed by the Gods to do battle with the enemy. But during the commemoration of the battle, annually the priests and other devout people, particularly men, ritually shaved their beards and heads.
Dashin explained to her youngest that Arindam had shaved his head and chin for the first time only on the eve of his battle with the enemy. He had done so to prevent the enemy pulling his hair or beard during any hand-to-hand combat that might be required.
Budhil couldn't help but smile on hearing his grown-up daughter's explanation because, as a child, he too recalled asking the same question of his father during a re-enactment of the Book of Mathur.
The audience's eyes were riveted to the stage where Druki complained of being hungry and pleaded with Arindam for help. She lied, telling him that her parents had been killed by the superstitious villagers of Mathur who claimed her parents had been witches. She had escaped death only because when she spied the mob coming for her parents she had ran off and hid. Arindam reassured the little girl that they might be able to beg or barter for food from the farm that could be seen in the distance. However Druki maintained that the small farm was owned by a very selfish woman who would share nothing despite growing vegetables and keeping some livestock. Druki had already begged for food from the woman but had been turned down even when she had offered to do household chores.
"I'm sure she'll agree to part with some food if I help her with some heavy chores," maintained Arindam. When Druki looked sceptical, he added "If that fails, I'll move on until I find someone who will part with some food. You're welcome to tag along with me if you like. I could do with the company."
"What if no one else offers you work or food?"
Again Chintak his youngest grandson interrupted to ask his mother, "Mummy is Arindam not afraid Druki the demon will eat him?"
"That's what she plans to do, little one, but Arindam outsmarts her."
"But how?"
"Chintak, please don't keep interrupting. You're spoiling the show for everyone around. Just watch the play and you'll find out how Arindam and the woman who owns the farm trick Druki into revealing her true demon nature."
By the time my daughter and grandson returned their attention to the stage, Druki was trying to persuade Arindam to kill the woman on the farm and help himself to all the food she had been keeping for herself.
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BOOK OF THE BATTLE OF MATHUR
Extract from Chapter 23
"When Arindam he saw the sorry state of one of his finest soldiers, he was both appalled and angry. All too often over the past week he had witnessed similar manifestation of his commander's inexcusable cruelty. One recruit to their army had died from wounds incurred at the hands of the man who led that very army. While Commander Artay thought he was instilling discipline he was in reality alienating the recruits and undermining their faith in his command. Arindam unable to contain his bottled up anger any longer confronted the man who was charged with leading the army against the enemy.
Their quarrel rapidly escalated to hand-to-hand combat while the troops looked on. At the beginning Artay because of his experience dominated the fight. However as the fight drew on Arindam began to gain the upper hand. That was when Artay resorted to cheating by pulling on Arindam's long hair and beard. In the end Arindam's youthful vigour prevailed as the older man showed signs of tiredness. With a grunt and a mighty heave the young man raised his opponent's body high above his shoulders and brought it crashed down on his thigh. The commander's backbone cracked and his body rolled onto the ground. The paralysed body lay still but loud shouts of fear and pain spilled from its mouth. Arindam spat on his defeated opponent's face and walked away in disgust. A young soldier came forward and using his long spear pierced the heart of the prostrate figure and put an end to the man's suffering.
The watching army cheered knowing Arindam was now their new commander. However few knew that the soothsayer's prophecy that one day Arindam would become the leader of a great army had now been fulfilled. Arindam felt the weight of command weigh heavily upon him. He doubted that he could lead them to victory against a foreign invasion despite the prediction of the second part of the soothsayer's prophecy."
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President Sadegh Vamana had been tossing and turning in his bed for an hour before Erim, his wife of thirty years shook him by the shoulder.
"What's wrong my love? You said you were tired but you've done nothing but toss and turn since you got into bed."
"I'm beyond tired. I'm exhausted but I can't sleep," the President complained.
"Is your irritable bowel syndrome bothering you?" Erim asked out of concern, gently stroking his arm to comfort him.
Ever since her husband was diagnosed with the condition five years ago, she had been extra vigilant about what he ate. However, despite his controlled diet, the condition flared up occasionally without any apparent reason.
"Digestive disorder is not the problem," he said turning on his side to lie facing her.
"Then what is troubling you, my love?"
"Dearest, you know I'm not permitted to talk to you about matters of state."
"And you think if you told me, I'd blab about it to your enemies," she said in honest irritation.
She wondered why they had to go through this rigmarole every time before her husband eventually decided to share what was troubling him.
"Of course not. I know of nobody more loyal to me than you. If it hadn't been for your support and encouragement I wouldn't have been appointed President of the country after serving for years as leader of our fledgling PPP (Peoples Progress Party)."
"Yes, my love, although it was a narrow victory, nonetheless it was a great achievement being appointed President. But you've paid a heavy price for holding the highest public office in the land," Erim added out of concern.
"What d'you mean - heavy price?"
"Your hair - what's left of it - is totally grey. Instead of wearing that smile of yours that attracted me to you all those years ago, your face is often twisted in a permanent frown."
The president gave a short guffaw agreeing with his wife about his loss of head hair. Recently she had suggested he shave his head entirely as was the fashion among men who were balding prematurely and among those who followed ancient cultural practices. Around the time when he stood for re-election after his first term of office was at an end, Erim had insisted he remove his neatly trimmed beard. She claimed all the grey in it made him look older than his 60 years.
"Despite what the doctors say I'm convinced your digestive problem is a result of the stress you're constantly under," Erim never tired of telling her husband. "While your presidency had been good for the country, it has been bad for your personal health."
"Stress comes with the job of president, my dear," her husband told her dismissively.
"That doesn't mean I have to like what it's doing to you. I don't want to be widowed until long after you've left office."
"Why do you exaggerate so?" was the irritated response.
Erim ignored her husband's comment as she often did when he said something unpleasant.
"Are you going to tell me what's been keeping you awake, or am I required to sign the Secrets Act before you share your thoughts with me?"
"I think I can trust you," commented Vamana pretending to sound tentative.
When his wife gently poked him in the ribs, he quickly followed suit with "Very well, I'll tell you. What was intended as my political legacy could lead to this great country's ruination."
"I don't understand how that could be possible. You must be exaggerating. The Millennium Project was due to give respectability and support to the nationwide celebrations marking the arrival of the fourth millennium. Wasn't there to be a big fanfare when the project published its findings?"
"Yes that was the plan. Nearly twenty five years ago, the respected senior politician Chanak pushed the government into setting up a project that would permit scientists and academics of all disciplines to research matters related to our nation's founding story, the Battle of Mathur. Until Chanak tabled his proposal, researchers had been denied access to sites and universities refused grants to examine the authenticity of the stories told about the seminal events in our nation's history."
"I thought the idea was yours."
"The original idea may not have been mine, but when I first ran for president, I put my own stamp on it by promising to champion the project."
"All the political pundits said you did that only to persuade the religious lobby of Mathurists who were opposed to the progressive ideas of the PPP, to throw their weight behind our party."
"Yes, I needed the deeply religious people on board. I needed them to stop seeing our party as enemies of religion and cultural traditions just because we wished to innovate and bring about material progress for the general public."
"It's just as well you did persuade them. With our narrow majority and their continued opposition to our ideals, you would never have won your second term in office by a landslide."
The memory of the victory brought a smile to Vamana's lips. Erim beamed with pride at her husband's success.
"So why do you make dark predictions of doom?"
"You'll recall I gave a pledge that should I be elected, my government would match any monies raised by the general public to fund the Millennial Project."
"Yes everybody acknowledged that the offer was a brilliant manoeuvre to bring the Mathurists onto our side."
"I gambled that through the project I could persuade the masses and the religion-based minor political parties to support the sciences. If I could stimulate and promote the sciences, this would drive innovation and spawn new industrial growth. My intention was always to ultimately raise the standard of living of the common man and secure our nation's place in a competitive and technological world."
"And look at how much you've achieved, darling. We now have more graduates in science and technology than we have jobs for. A significant number of rural villages that had no reliable sources of clean water and electricity now can live decent and productive lives. We have more doctors than any time in our history and because of that more people's health has improved markedly."
The president smiled, heartened by his wife's endorsement.
"You sure you don't want a job as my PR agent?"
She laughed off the suggestion and the back-handed compliment he had just paid her.
"Or maybe you should become my official speech writer," he further suggested with humour.
"Just because I'm not involved in politics any more doesn't mean I don't believe in you and what you're trying to do for the people."
He was only too aware that her impoverished background had drawn her as a youth to the PPP just as it had him and many hundreds of thousands of other people. He had been an idealistic member of that fledging party when they met. Through their early struggles to have the PPP recognised as a credible political party, they had grown close enough to each other to solemnise their relationship through marriage.
"You may be loyal to me and the ideals of the PPP, but the general population is unfortunately very fickle. If I don't handle this Millennial Project correctly, Erim I shudder to think what political and social costs our society will have to pay."
"How can you say that knowing how much money the public has raised to fund the project? Need I remind you that the money has been donated by mostly devout people following the teachings and traditions of The Book of Mathur?"
"And it's those very people who are deeply ingrained with the Mathurian texts that concern me. The threat when it comes will not be from the educated and scientifically literate classes. They, after all, don't accept the holy texts as literal even though they subscribe to the spirit of the book. The threat will come from the semi-literate and devout masses. As you know, when I hitched my political wagon to the Millennial Project. I promised to mark the fourth millennium celebration next year by publishing all the research findings of the project. I genuinely believed that at long last our people would have an authenticated history of the great battle that took place at Mathur. I also hoped that the research with its wide-ranging brief would also give fresh impetus to the arts and our cultural development.
"You keep talking gloom and doom my love but you haven't explained why the project that once propelled you to power could be so dangerous."
"I was nave to put so much faith in the project."
"You're still not explaining what the problem is."
"What if the findings of the Project undermine the commonly accepted story of the great battle?"
"You're being melodramatic, I'm sure," Erim commented, patting her husband's arm reassuringly.
"I assure you I'm not. Recently I dug through the government archives and discovered that almost a century ago the President of Dabaan gave a noted archaeologist permission to look at the battlefield of Mathur."
"I didn't know that."
"Few people do, my love. In any case, several months later the archaeologist was adamant that the battle of Mathur had not taken place at the site. The news was printed in the press and there was widespread street disturbances by people angered that their history and religion had been impugned. The government was obliged to immediately close down the research and disavow the archaeological findings before law and order was restored."
"Now I understand why successive governments have been reluctant to permit research on the battlefield of Mathur."
"The incident demonstrated how out of touch the government was with the thoughts and feelings of the people. Some political historians argue that the president who instigated the research did not retire from his post prematurely due to ill health as officially announced, but that he was removed from office by fellow members of his cabinet."
"And you're concerned that the same might happen to you, aren't you?"
"Of course. I would be a fool not to."
"You worry altogether too much. For two centuries at least, scientists have been speculating and casting doubt on some of the events in the Mathurian texts and the public has gone about its business totally unconcerned."
"Yes but only because, in the absence of evidence, scientists could only speculate. The general public was free to dismiss the unfounded views of scientists. The religious viewpoint was considered as valid as any other. Unfortunately the Millennial Project I've championed is far more extensive and detailed. It has the potential to gut the core beliefs of the public and undermine our ancient cultural traditions."
"Please tell me you're not thinking of suppressing the findings of the project."
"The truth is I don't know what I should do. While I subscribe to science and its findings, I'm also a patriot who won't permit anything that threatens the stability and well-being of my country."
"I know that my love. But if you were to turn your back on the democratic values that brought you to office you'd no longer be the man who I fell in love with and won the hearts of the public.
"Don't you think I know that?" was the president's tetchy response.
His wife ignored the remark knowing that he was stressed by the battle within him. Instead she asked "When will the Project publish its findings?"
"The Project can't publish its findings until I sign off on them in the next few months."
"So there you are. Problem solved at least for a little while," was the President's wife's upbeat comment.
"No, it's just begun. I've just finished reading the first draft of the findings," said the President glumly. "It doesn't make comfortable reading for those who accept the Mathurian texts as literal."
The mild panic in wife's voice was clear when she hastened to ask "You're not saying that the historians have disproved the battle took place?"
"I'm saying that many of our cherished beliefs take a pasting. Everything from the origin of the holy texts, the miracles that helped Arindam to defeat the invaders and even the very genetic makeup of native Dabaanians has been questioned."
"And you think you can't permit the project's findings to be published because you'll be forced out of office if the findings go public."
"Losing the presidency is the least of my concerns, my dear at the moment. The possible loss of life due to civil unrest, the widespread disruption of manufacturing and the distrust of the political system that might result if the document is published could have devastating consequences for society."
"In that situation wouldn't you send in the troops?"
"Sending in the troops to maintain law and order could further exacerbate the situation," the President pointed out glumly. "In the face of uncertainty, major investors in our country will pull out and the material progress our party has fought for could be jeopardised. Besides, how can I use force to suppress the genuine reaction of devout people to the findings of the Millennial Project?"
"What other options do you have? You're damned if you publish and you're damned if you suppress the report."
"And that, my love, is the nub of the problem facing me" the President added with a note of resignation.
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BOOK OF THE BATTLE OF MATHUR
Extract from Chapter 31
"When Arindam saw the enemy occupying the higher ground before him, he was both surprised and a little alarmed. His spies had brought the news that arraigned above him was merely the advance contingent of troops of the enemy. The major part of the invading force was battling at Mathur to take control of the coast. The local people there would be no match for the tall, fearsome and dark-skinned invaders. He needed to reach Mathur quickly if the enemy was to be repelled. Despite his inexperience in the ways of war Arindam knew he could not defeat his foes while they occupied the higher ground and could rain down arrows and rocks upon his troops.
All his life Arindam had scoffed at the notion of Gods guiding human affairs or performing miracles. Foolishly he believed he was master of his own destiny. He had ignored his duty to make sacrifices to placate them, or give offerings to thank them for their bounty. In despair Arindam fell to his knees and for the first time in his life beseeched the Gods for assistance. Shakka the Sun God, the supreme leader of the Gods, was pleased at the man's change of heart and responded to the plea. Shakka spoke directly to Arindam to demand that Arindam and his people build the largest temple in the land, to honour and worship the supreme God. If Arindam promised to build the temple, Shakka would assist in defeating the enemy. Arindam agreed and further promised to hereafter dedicate his life to the supreme deity.
Shakka from his seat in the heavens sent forth a celestial weapon to destroy Arindam's enemy. The supreme God told Arindam to look to the heavens. In the distance a bright fireball raced across the sky in the direction of where the two armies were positioned. Shakka warned Arindam he would send his fiery breath and torch the enemy. Arindam and his troops were instructed to lie on their bellies and cover themselves with their leather-hide shields. Within moments of the army following the instruction, a loud boom was heard from the sky. A rush of searing heat swept over Arindam's prostrate troops and charged up the hillside occupied by the enemy.
The enemy was reduced to ashes. There was nothing left even for the vultures and crows to feed upon.
Arindam thanked Shakka for smiting his enemies but he was still despondent because he feared for the people of Mathur. Once more, Arindam called to the heavens for assistance. The people of the town being largely fishermen and merchants were unprepared to take on the invading army that besieged them.
Shakka requested Haav, the Sea God to offer all assistance to Arindam. The fisher-folk of Mathur had a long tradition of respecting and honouring the sea. Most of the people were devoted to Haav, the Sea God. Haav announced that he would vanquish the enemy with a mighty wave the likes of which no man had ever seen.
Haav, the Sea God commanded the sea to rise higher than the tallest tree and rush inland to destroy the invaders. All the enemies' ships were dashed onto the rocks along the coast. The majority of the enemy were drowned. The town of Mathur was inundated by the mighty sea. The enemy on land was swept back out to the sea to drown. Haav commanded the sea to be calm once more. When the water receded it was clear the enemy had been vanquished.
Arindam had been granted a boon by the Haav, the Sea God so that he could witness the destruction of the enemy despite his distance from the coast. However, even without this special sight, Arindam knew in his heart that the Gods never spoke falsely to their creation of men."
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As requested, Major Ahren Bhadran, the Director of the Dabaan Intelligence Service (DIS) had arrived with his briefing for the President. Despite the fact that the major had been appointed to his post by the previous administration, President Vamana had grown to like and trust the man.
"As you might recall Mr President, Professor Budhil Daikan was vetted before you appointed him director of the Millennial Project. He was a good choice for the role for a variety of reasons. He was a hardworking, a much respected academic who had the requisite skills to coordinate a multi-disciplinary initiative like the Millennial Project. He had no skeletons in his cupboard. Putting him in charge of the project was politically an astute choice since he belonged to the Kaalian clan - the dark-skinned race among our people. Through Budhil Daikan's appointment your administration demonstrated that it was committed to equality for all our citizens regardless of heritage."
The President nodded an acknowledgement of the back-handed compliment from his intelligence chief
"If you're looking for dirt, Mr President, there's nothing at all that we can use against him."
"Are you saying there's no way to remove him - if necessary?"
"If necessary, Mr President there are always ways of removing someone considered an enemy of the state. Anyone considered an enemy of the state could meet with an unfortunate accident if you felt it absolutely necessary. I could even organise it in such a way that the Mathurism fundamentalists would be blamed."
The tone with which the major gave his advice was not lost on the President.
"Why do I get the impression that you are not keen on that course of action?"
"Because, sir, the man is a decent person and I don't believe in damaging someone unless absolutely necessary. Besides that, removing him from the post whether through pressure or an unfortunate accident would not address the real problem which is the Millennial Project Report itself. The other aspect that concerns me is that once we go down the route of violence, it might provoke further violence from Mathurism fundamentalists. And then we would no longer be in control of the situation."
Despite being unhappy with the advice, the President set that matter aside temporarily, to ask "Major, exactly how many copies of the draft report are in circulation?"
"Five in total. All five of the research coordinators or chiefs have an electronic copy. The remainder of researchers on the project - and at last count there were forty five of them - have not seen the draft report."
"If I can't persuade Professor Daikan to radically re-write the draft report, can the existing copies of the report be retrieved or destroyed?"
"Easily."
The politician fell silent for a moment. He closely examined the face of his intelligence chief.
"Ahren, why do I get the impression you don't recommend that course of action either?"
"Mr President, can I speak freely?"
President Vamana looked directly at his intelligence chief and felt it necessary to say "Ahren, you'd be of no use to me if you didn't speak freely and express your opinions about the recommendations you make. Go ahead. Tell me what's on your mind."
"In this situation, your room to manoeuvre is exceptionally limited, sir. Even if you could force a rewrite of the report either by bringing pressure to bear on Professor Daikan, or perhaps have some of your senior civil servants write something closer to what you want, you're still left with the dissenting views of the other researchers."
"Are you saying that the others wouldn't fall into line?"
"Academics are accustomed to intellectual freedom. And in this situation, if you arbitrarily overturn many years of their research, they will claim that religious dogma has triumphed over reason."
"You know that's not true. I'm not even particularly religious and that's no secret."
"They won't be pacified by that kind of comment. They will jealously stand by their findings and go public with their view that they are being censored. That would reflect badly on your administration and your political enemies would exploit the situation. It might even receive negative coverage in the international media and tarnish our country's image abroad."
"Could the others not be bought off or pressured in some way?"
"Maybe one or two could be persuaded, but unlikely all of them would cooperate. Mr President excuse me repeating myself but the problem is not the researchers themselves, but their actual findings or conclusions."
"And what if their findings were expunged from the records? You did say that the report could be destroyed."
"Yes, the report itself could be destroyed, but I hate to keep repeating that the problem won't disappear. You see sir, the majority of the research findings are already in the public domain, in the form of research papers submitted and published in respected academic journals. Those findings are now known to many researchers across the world. The research findings can't be denied or hidden."
"How was the wider dissemination of the findings permitted to happen?"
"That's the price we pay for being a democracy. Apart from scientist talking to each other in informal settings, researchers routinely publish novel findings or analyses in national and international journals. In fact that's how they attract funding and establish their national and international credentials. Even when they aren't publishing, researchers regularly share their ideas with colleagues around the world at international conferences and symposia."
The President sat shaking his head in dismay.
"I should never have championed the Millennial Project. I should have left it the way it was, a small gesture that would amount to nothing much."
"Sir, no one could have reasonably anticipated the outcomes of the research. You're not to blame for the findings made by the research team."
"That's not how the religious lobby I was trying to woo will see it. And as for my political opponents, they will use the report to bludgeon me. They will portray me as someone who denigrates our cultural traditions and religious beliefs. I'll be labelled as anti-national, unpatriotic and unfit for political office."
"Sir, while we can't stop the coming storm, we can at least batten down the hatches and do our best to weather it."
"And exactly how do we do that, Major?"
"Firstly do not underestimate the people's ability to deal with the findings of the Millennial Report. The majority probably will blithely go on as they always have. Anything in the report they find unsettling, they will simply ignore. Take astrology for example. Many people won't marry or make any major decision in their lives without consulting an astrologer despite the fact that scientists maintain that astrology is total nonsense."
"But what of the Mathurism fundamentalists?"
"My agency personnel keep close tabs on all the dangerous people of that mind-set as we do with all groups or individuals that threaten, foment or perpetrate violence in the name of religion or ideology."
"And what of the politicians supported by fundamentalist groups that would exploit the report for their own ends?"
"With the assistance of the police, arrest those politicians who incite violence. Politicians are bound by the constitution as much as any other citizen. While peaceful protest and opposition to policies is perfectly acceptable, the sedition law permits us to prosecute any person whose conduct or speech incites people to rebel against the legitimate authority of the elected government."
"That's all very well Ahren, but you've cleverly side-stepped the matter of whether or not my government will fall."
"Mr President you know it's not for me comment on such matters provided governments change through democratic processes. I can't predict the political outcome of publishing the Millennial Report. All I can do is my utmost to ensure the safety and security of our society."
"Thank you for your honesty, Major."
President Vamana stood up, signalling the meeting was at an end. Major Bhadran followed suit and was soon herded towards the door by his host. The president stood for a moment as if lost in his thoughts.
"I wish I had never set up that damned Millennial Project," he said more to himself than the major.
"Sir, we have an adage in the intelligence service. Never ask a question that you don't wish to hear the answer to."
With that advice the intelligence chief departed leaving the President to contemplate his own fate and that of his country.
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For the past ten years the Millennial Project had dominated Budhil Daikan's life. He had felt honoured to be given the post of Project Director. As the director of the multi-disciplinary research initiative, his job had been to ensure a balance between all the strands of work. Experts were working on detailing the artistic and cultural influences of Mathurian texts; textual analysis was being used to describe and interpret Mathurian texts as well as ascertain the history and authorship of those writings; archaeologists were painstakingly unpicking the historicity of events before, during and after the great battle; physicists were looking for scientific explanations of the hot wind as well as the coastal flooding that killed the foreign invaders; and population geneticists were detailing the evolution and genetic makeup of the population. He had been responsible for prioritising and allocating funding to the various research threads. Each discipline vied for funding to reflect the importance of their respective discipline. With so many large egos and the many experts to contend with, it had not always been easy to find a balance between the various disciplines and at times Budhil had to be tough - even immovable once his decisions had been made.
While some threads of research were still ongoing, the majority had concluded their findings. In the past ten years of the project various researchers have published their methods and findings in appropriate peer reviewed publications to much acclaim. Budhil's task for the past three months has been to synthesise all the outcomes and write a comprehensible report that would engage and inform the general public. To help with this process he had called upon subject discipline chiefs to do their bit. They took responsibility for writing their specialist sections of the report and also provided ideas for and comments on the overall style and thrust of the report. Many sleepless nights have come and gone before Budhil felt confident that he had done justice to the brief he had been given by the president. President Vamana had received a copy of the first draft of Budhil's report a week earlier.
When the president's private secretary visited Budhil this morning to invite him to a meeting to discuss the Project Report, he was a little surprised. Of course the academic had anticipated that the president, (or more likely his civil servants) would suggest various amendments to the text before a finalised version of the millennial report was approved for publication. He had expected that the back-and-forth about changes to the text would be mostly through email. The president would only sign off on the report if he and his cabinet approved all of the contents. Of course the president would personally pen the preface to the Millennial Project Report before it was released to the media and the public at large.
When the government limousine pulled up outside Budhil's home he for some unknown reason felt anxious. This project had been his responsibility for the last ten years and he couldn't help feeling protective towards it.
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BOOK OF THE BATTLE OF MATHUR
Extract from Chapter 36
"When Arindam's army reached the coast early the next morning, a great deal of the land was ankle deep in mud. All the wooden buildings and even many of stone were totally destroyed or in ruins. The ground was littered with bodies. Those alive were dazed by the calamity that had befallen them. Some were trying to find surviving members of their families who had not been swept out to sea, while others salvaged what little they could to make it through the coming days and weeks. While Arindam wept openly at the destruction he saw before him, a crowd began to savagely beat a surviving member of the invading army. The crowd was bent on revenge. A soldier interrupted Arindam's grief to ask what should be done with the few remaining members of the enemy.
Arindam ordered his troops to round up the surviving members of the enemy. The local people of Mathur demanded that each and every one of the invaders be killed. Arindam spoke to the angry crowd saying that the invaders would be spared. There was much work to be done in rebuilding the town and every hand was needed to assist in that effort. Arindam decreed that his dark-skinned enemies would henceforth be rendered slaves. One slave would be allotted to any family that had lost a son. Those slaves who worked hard and showed no hostility to their owners would after a period of twenty years be set free. Freed slaves that chose to remain in the area would not be permitted to prepare food intended for consumption by the people of Mathur. Freed slaves would only be permitted to do those daily chores that the local people chose not to carry out. Slaves, even those who had been set free, were forbidden to marry any of the women of Mathur.
At the end of six months, the temple to Shakka was completed and a ritual sacrifice was made as was the custom. Shakka spoke directly to Arindam saying that he was pleased with him. But the supreme God was not yet finished with him. The next task would be even more important than overcoming the invaders. Shakka chose Arindam the difficult task of changing the hearts of men.
Although Arindam wished to return to his home in the north, the people of Mathur would not permit it. They wished him to rule over them. Arindam had neither the knowledge nor the skills of governing people. Concerned that he might fail, he called upon Shakka for assistance. The supreme God agreed to guide Arindam if he persuaded his people to follow the code of conduct the Gods had decreed for men. Over the course of a month, Arindam spoke on behalf of Shakka and set out clearly the behaviour that pleased the gods. These rules of conduct were set out in the Acharan which all obedient good men were duty bound to follow. The task of persuading the sons of man to change their hearts and follow the rules set out in the Acharan fell to Arindam."
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President Vamana and Professor Budhil Daikan were seated in a private office in the Presidential Palace. The initial pleasantries and offer of hot coffee were rapidly disposed of before the president turned his attention to the matter of the Millennial Project Report.
"I want to commend and thank you for your report, Professor Daikan. It is comprehensive, detailed, precisely written and accessible to non-specialists like myself and the public."
Even though the academic politely responded by saying "Thank you, sir" he could not shake the feeling that something about the report was troubling the country's head of state.
"Given that the report will be published to celebrate the millennial celebrations and re-invigorate our people's religious and cultural identities, we must endeavour to ensure the text achieves that goal."
"Of course Mr President. When your administration provides me with specific amendments, I will of course tweak the report accordingly."
"I'm glad you understand the necessity of making changes but I think you under-estimate the radical changes that might be required before I am in a position to sign off on the report."
The project director's facial expression reflected both surprise and puzzlement at the president's remark.
"Mr President, if the report was as you characterised it a moment ago, I don't understand your desire to make radical changes."
The politician remained silent as if reluctant to explain his reasoning. It was noticeable that he found it difficult to hold the Project Director's gaze. Despite his personal commitment to liberal values, the president felt conflicted about the course of action he felt obliged to adopt due to the potential political ramifications of the Millennial Project Report.
"What are kind of radical changes exactly do you wish to make Mr President, and why?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question and had been anticipated by the president. Earlier he had decided that it was best if he was direct about the matter and not prolong his own internal struggles to come to terms with what he was convinced he had to do.
"To be blunt, the report undermines the foundational base of Mathurism, the main religion of this country."
"I can assure you sir, that that was not the intention of my report."
"I accept that there was no malintent on your part, but nevertheless that's what the report does. And those contents will need to be removed or amended if I am to present this report to parliament and the population at large."
"I'm not certain I follow the exact nature of your concerns. Can you share with me what aspects of the report, in your view undermine the foundational base of Mathurism?"
"Well, they are primarily limited to the explanation of how the invading army was destroyed, but also include how and when the Book of Mathur came to be written."
While Professor Daikan might not have been well versed about the holy book when he was first appointed to the post of Project Director, over the course of the last ten years he had become intimately familiar with the Book of Mathur. He was perfectly aware of what the president meant but he saw no reason to be overly cooperative and compliant.
"Is it nave of me as a scientist to expect that evidence and reason should prevail in a document like the Millennial Research Project?"
"Academics have the luxury of following where the evidence leads. As a politician I'm more constrained. I'm obliged to consider the possible impact of your evidence and theories on the general public's core beliefs and values."
"They're not just my theories and conclusions sir but that of the Millennial Project Team."
"Don't be pedantic and deflective, Professor," commented the politician with irritation. "You know perfectly well what I mean."
"If you expect scientists and rationalists to endorse miracles, Mr President that is an unrealistic expectation. The very nature of the scientific method is that it relies on verifiable evidence to produce explanatory theories or models that are testable. Miracles by their very nature are outside the realm of scientific inquiry. You will never come across any reputable scientist or science journal explaining an event as a miracle. Scientists use materialistic explanations and avoid any references to the supernatural."
"I'm sure you're correct in what you say, but my primary concern is about how devout Mathurists will react to your report. Many will interpret your report as an attack on their core beliefs and traditions."
"I think Mr President you misunderstand the findings. The events in the Book of Mathur are not being questioned. The report is simply offering a more credible or scientific explanation of those events - one not involving miracles."
"But isn't your explanation that a meteorite caused the fire that led to the destruction of the invading army just as far-fetched in the minds of the ordinary citizen?"
"Not at all. While there is no evidence that Shakka assisted Arindam in destroying the enemy, or Haav, the Sea God drowned the enemy gathered on the shore of Mathur, there is verifiable evidence that a meteorite did strike near the battlefield and that resulted in the defeat of the invaders."
"Are you referring to the shocked quartz and levels of Iridium in the soil mentioned in the report?"
"Not only that, sir. Don't forget about the glass globules that were formed when the heat blast turned sand into glass. These sorts of artefacts are characteristic of meteorite impact sites, including the area to the north of the city of Mathur. Since any impact would have produced a crater, the physicists on the project searched for one. They managed to locate the crater site which has since filled up with water to become a small lake."
"Yes, I recall reading that in your report."
"There is more detail given in the appendices to the report, Mr President. The appendices set out how the archaeological evidence from human and animal skeletons supports the idea of a meteorite impact. That said, I expect the version of the report published for the lay public will not include the appendices. That fuller version will be for the specialists only."
"A meteorite impact wouldn't be capable of distinguishing between the invaders and our own army. How then did Arindam and his army survive?"
"Mr President we can't be certain that they did survive."
On hearing that the politician felt panic rising in his chest. If that sort of statement were to be included in the report, there would be public outrage.
"If they did survive largely intact, we can only postulate that Arindam's army was far away enough to escape the heat blast. The only way to settle the question is a detailed analysis of DNA samples taken from the skeletons at the site. Unfortunately heat destroys DNA."
"Are you saying we'll never know whether only the invaders were destroyed by the meteorite blast?"
"It looks unlikely at the moment, but I wouldn't go as far as saying we'll never know," commented Professor Daikan with a disarming smile.
"What of the enemy ships destroyed as they lay moored just off the coast of Mathur? Your report makes no mention of that."
"Again in the appendices, the physicists suggest the meteorite broke up while overhead. One of the fragments crashed nearby into the sea at tremendous velocity, causing a tsunami."
"I doubt that many lay people would consider that a credible explanation. Most people will stick with the familiar - the religious explanation."
"If that is so why do you characterise the scientific findings as a threat to the foundational basis of Mathurism?"
"Because the findings casts doubt on the public's beliefs and would cause great emotional distress. Some believers might even retaliate violently against such ideas because they perceive their core beliefs and traditions are under threat."
"Tell me Mr President, how many of the public still accept the idea that diseases are due to possession by evil spirits or spells cast?"
"I don't understand the relevance of your question, Professor Daikan. We're discussing your report not evil spirits."
"Let me explain, Mr President. Before germ theory came along over a century ago, most people across the globe, including those in Dabaan, believed that spells and evil spirits caused disease and therefore sick people employed shamans to cast out the malevolent spirits."
"I understand what you're saying, but I think you misrepresent my position. My objection and that of followers of Mathurism is not to the science per se. When you dismiss the commonly held beliefs that the Gods caused the destructive heat blast and coastal flooding, you change the nature of the relationship between deities and their creation - us humans."
"With respect, sir, I believe that comment is disingenuous. When the theory of evolution established that no godly intervention was necessary in the creation of humans and all the other diverse species on this planet, did that not also challenge the special relationship between the Gods and humans? And yet we teach the theory of evolution in our schools and universities."
"I think you've forgotten there was much public disquiet and resistance from a variety of religious leaders across the globe at the time the idea of evolution was first made public."
"Yes, because new ideas are always unsettling. However in the end, most people, except for a few fundamentalist die-hards, accepted the idea of evolution by natural selection. Why should the new ideas in the Millennial Report be any different?"
"Because your report also questions how and when the Book of Mathur itself came about. You claim that the text had many authors and the book was added to in later periods."
"The linguistic and textual analysis by the relevant experts points to that conclusion. The stories about the early life of Arindam were late additions to fill out the iconic figure of Arindam."
"But according to your report the Book of Mathur was written much later than that claimed by conventional wisdom."
"Writing was not invented until nearly a thousand years after the events described in the stories so the book could not have been written during the life of Arindam. As in many other societies, oral history always preceded written history. Long before the Book of Mathur came to be written the adventures of Arindam were being passed on orally. The story tellers would most likely have embroidered parts and perhaps even add whole new stories or chapters. That would explain why when the stories eventually came to be written, there were various versions. Even today, Mathurism does not have one definitive version of the holy book accepted by everyone. Of course in core aspects they all resemble each other but there are nonetheless significant differences among some of them."
"The report's explanations aside, people look to the Book of Mathur for moral and spiritual guidance. Surely science can't supply any of that."
"That sir, is perhaps a different philosophical discussion for a different occasion. However I personally feel obliged to say that if people followed the guidance in the holy book, I would not be a free citizen of the state as I am today. I would be a slave, forever doomed to the lowest strata of society."
"The original colour discrimination was aimed at that the invaders of Dabaan that survived the battle four thousand years ago. And the population of original Kaalians died out within a generation and slavery end with that" was the politician's defensive reply.
"Sir, that's the liberal interpretation of history if you don't mind me saying so. According to that interpretation the original Kaalian invaders died since they did not bring any women with them and the men were forbidden on pain of death to take indigenous Dabaanian women as wives."
"I don't quite see the relevance of that in our current discussion, Professor Daikan."
"The relevance Mr President is that even the liberal interpretation of history can't deny that three millennia later when dark-skinned traders began arriving as traders and settlers to these shores, the ancient edict giving the indigenous lighter-skinned Dabaanians the right to enslave dark-skinned people was enforced."
"I understand the Kaalian community's grievance but my government can't be held responsible for what happened in the past." The President as a politician could not resist coming to the defence of his country's values. He felt it necessary to add "You do know of course know that our country, in the face of much resistance and despite the religious text, abolished the prohibition of intermarriage with people of Kaalian descent and gave equal status to all the country's citizens regardless of ethnicity or colour."
"I'm not disputing that the situation has improved in terms of legislation although attitudes shift far more slowly. What I'm trying say Mr President is that the accepted wisdom of what happened to the invading Kaalians four millennia ago is incorrect."
"Incorrect in what respect?"
"While the research is far from over and some of the evidence is still being evaluated by the biologists, we do have a newly developing theory about the relationship between the original Dabaanians and the original Kaalian people who invaded this country."
"Is that why it's not in the main conclusions of the report?"
"Yes, Mr President. In fact all the lines of research from the meteorite impact to textual analyses of the sacred texts are ongoing and most likely will continue even now the project is officially at an end."
"So what have the researchers uncovered?"
"The genetic analysis overturns the popular idea that the Kaalian invaders died out within a generation."
"How could they not? As you yourself said, there were no Kaalian women and the Kaalians were forbidden to marry the indigenous Dabaanian women."
"The genetic evidence is clear that the original Kaalians did not die out but interbred with indigenous women."
The President's face drained of blood in shock. This new information would be politically and socially explosive if it were aired publicly. Nevertheless his personal curiosity was peeked.
"That's difficult to accept since the Kaalians were enslaved and forbidden to intermarry."
"What you say is true in theory only, Mr President. From DNA studies we now know that the devastation caused by the meteorite impacts decimated the local population and that at least temporarily changed the rules."
"How can you say that with any certainty? You can't possibly know the size of the population way back then."
"Even if the meteorite impacts didn't directly decimate the local population, the aftermath of the impacts would certainly have done so. We know from tree ring analysis, because of the dust ejected into the atmosphere, the weather for a while was colder over a wide area of Dabaan. It didn't return to fully normal until around 200 years after the meteorite impacts. This is consistent with what other researchers in other countries have found with meteorite impacts. or large volcanic eruptions throwing dust up into the atmosphere. "
"And that leads you to conclude that the original Kaalians interbred with the local women?" asked a sceptical president.
"We know from the genetic analyses that a significant section of the modern Dabaanian population is descended from a limited number of individuals. There was a genetic bottle-neck if you like. And if we take into account the fact that a significant section of modern Dabaanians possess Kaalian genes, we are forced to conclude that there must have been interbreeding between the two communities. That is not too dissimilar to how we know modern humans interbred with their Neanderthal cousins when the two populations were living close to each other. The research findings lead to the conclusion that the original Kaalians far from dying out, actually interbred with indigenous women."
"But how can you be sure that the Kaalian genes weren't from the more recent migration about a thousand years ago?"
"We can distinguish between the modern Kaalian genes and the ancient Kaalian genes. They were are not identical because of genetic drift and three thousand years of separate evolution by the Kaalian before they migrated to this country. Very tellingly only the ancient Kaalian genes are present in the Dabaanian population.
"But what of the prohibition of intermarriage with Kaalian men?"
"The prohibition against intermarriage would not have made much sense in the context of the population crash that occurred in the aftermath of the meteorite impacts. Once the local the population in and around Mathur had recovered, most probably the prohibition on intermarriage was again enforced. However the ancient Kaalian genes that had been introduced into the indigenous Dabaanians continued to be passed on through successive generations just as ancient Neanderthal genes continue to be present in modern human populations despite the fact that Neanderthal populations died out tens of thousands of years ago. "
While clearly discomforted by the new revelations the president was determined to resolve the matter of the text of the Millennial Report.
"Professor, while this has been an interesting side discussion, I want to draw you back to the topic we started with - amendments to your report. Are you willing to make the sorts of amendments to the report that I mentioned?"
"In all conscience I can't. It would be dishonest to hide the truth."
"I'm requesting you to put aside that matter for the moment. I want to appeal to your sense of patriotism, Professor. Don't you care what happens to your country?"
"Of course I care for my country, Mr President. I'm somewhat offended that you should question my loyalty to this country - or do you think because of my Kaalian heritage I care less about Dabaan than any other citizen?"
"That's not what I'm saying and you know it," said the President not managing to suppress the exasperation he was feeling. "If the truth could seriously offend and hurt many Mathurists and in a worst case scenario lead to civil unrest, would you still refuse to make the radical changes to the report I've requested?"
"Mr President, even if I were to agree to the changes, my colleagues certainly wouldn't."
"You realise that I could not guarantee your personal safety if the report is published as it stands."
"I trust sir that was not intended as a threat."
The politician coloured with embarrassment. He was frustrated that despite his power and influence as head of state the discussion was not going at all as he had anticipated.
"Whatever action you choose to take will not alter my stance on the matter, Mr President. Besides, my death at the hands of some extremist won't change the contents of the report's findings. The truth is the truth. I believe there's a saying that paper can't contain a fire."
"This is not some sort of free-standing philosophical debate, Professor Daikan. As President I am responsible for law and order and the well-being of the whole of society. I am charged with dealing with any real or potential threats to that well-being. I have to state my surprise and disappointment at your attitude. But let me make it clear that if I deem you or your report as endangering the well-being of this country and its people, I will take whatever steps necessary to safeguard our society."
"Mr President, let me also be equally frank. When I voted for you in the last election, I never dreamed you would adopt the position you have in this discussion. Personally I'm disappointed that you would seek to suppress the truth for political expediency and permit outdated fairy tales to be fed to the public."
"Professor Daikan I think you forget who you're speaking to."
"If you're attempting to pull rank Mr President, I would remind you I am not easily intimidated. There is a long history of scientific findings being suppressed or denigrated because of the potential impact on religions or ideologies."
Warning alerts sounded in President Vamana's mind preventing him from responding with invectives that he was naturally inclined to use. The situation was quickly getting out of hand and he realised he had to reign in the discussion. He set aside his frustration at his impotence in achieving his goal despite the fact that the dark man facing him was technically an employee of the government.
"You leaves me with few options, professor. Since the report was commissioned by me, on behalf of the government, I might decide not to publish the report at all."
"That is your prerogative, sir. I would remind you however that any action you take won't have any impact upon what is already in the public domain in the form of journals, and international symposia."
"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" was the President's combative comment.
Inwardly the politician regretted his rash comment but tried not to show it. He was annoyed at himself for being drawn into such a position. As someone who had always regarded himself as a liberal, he felt discomforted at being edged into the censorial role of attempting to curb research findings. He berated himself for becoming the kind of authoritarian leader that he had criticised in his long career in politics.
The two men lapsed into silence. Each avoided looking the other in the face. It was the academic who eventually broke the awkward silence.
"If there's nothing else Mr President, it's best I leave."
The two men parted with bad feelings on both sides.
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extract from BOOK OF MATHUR: tHE Acharan (CODE OF CONDUCT)
Chapter 2
Verses 1- 4
You may purchase the dark-skinned enemy who has been enslaved by one of your own kind. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance.
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will be rendered slaves and serve you in forced labour. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you may attack the town with the full blessing of the Gods. You may keep for yourselves all the women, children, and livestock as plunder.
When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes a second wife, he must continue to treat her as a wife. If he fails in this regard, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.
When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, the slave survives, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.
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Major Ahren Bhadran, the Director of the Dabaan Intelligence Service (DIS) after completing his conversation with the president, sighed with disappointment. Politicians failed to learn that they could not control everything that happened. Some situations could be anticipated while others could not. The key was learning how to respond appropriately to crises that could arise. While he was a patriot, there were limits to what he was prepared to do.
The major's operatives had already assured him that no hard copies of the Millennial Report had been produced. It would not be difficult to utilise a computer virus to irretrievably destroy all the files on the all the computers used by the Millennial Project. Within 24 hours the necessary counter measures would be in effect. Despite this, he knew in his heart that it would not achieve the effect desired by the president. Long time ago he had concluded that some of the most oppressive things are done by people who genuinely thought they are doing it for the best, especially if there is some religion or ideology involved.
The media and some politicians would question the sudden and mysterious loss of the draft Millennial Report. There would be a great deal of mischief making. The media would eventually find some of the research outcomes on the World Wide Web. It would track down copies of journals and records of international conferences which contained the findings the president was attempting to suppress. It pained him that his country in the coming days and weeks would not only be the centre of attention but also receive negative coverage in the international news media.
The religious lobby in his country would question the government's culpability and motives (if any) in the sudden loss of the Millennial Report. Was the president reneging on his promise to mark the fourth millennium with a celebration of Dabaan's religion and culture, they would ask. Was the promise of the Millennial Project a political ploy to gain the support of some of his critics, everyone would ask. The modernists and reformers would accuse the president of conveniently not being able to publish findings that challenged the beliefs of the incorrigible religious fundamentalists. President Vamana would receive a mauling by politicians and the media alike. Of course the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee would order an investigation into the funding of the Millennial Project. After all, large sums of money had been donated by the public and this was matched in equal measure by funds from the government's coffers to finance the project. The parliamentary subcommittee would want to blame someone for the lack of a concrete outcome for all the money spent on the Millennial Project. The academic community would be invited by some parliamentary subcommittee or other, including the Public Accounts Committee, to explain what the project was working on and the sorts of findings they had been making before the computer virus destroyed their records. Academia would be up in arms, alleging censorship. Even if the Millennial Project Director made no accusations against the government and the president, conspiracy theorist would have a field day. Perhaps even academics from overseas who had knowledge of the multi-disciplinary research project would weigh in with their own views. It was inevitable that Professor Daikan would be criticised, disgraced and certainly lose his post at his university.
The intelligence chief felt sorry for the professor who had been innocent in the whole debacle. However he was more concerned about the country as a whole. Major Bhadran's primary concern was the potential political instability that might result and how it might afford hot-heads and extremists an opportunity to instigate civil unrest or even violence. He had less sympathy for President Vamana. The head of state had signed his own political death warrant through his ill-considered action in covertly attempting to suppress the Millennial Project Report.
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extract from BOOK OF MATHUR: tHE Acharan (CODE OF CONDUCT)
Chapter 2
Verses 5 - 13
Whoever strikes his father or mother cut off his hand that he learns to respect the parents that gave him birth.
If one curses his father or mother, cut out his tongue so that he may not repeat his sin.
A marriage is lawful if a father voluntarily agrees to give his daughter's hand to a man who pays the father a bride price (dowry).
A marriage is lawful in the event of a forcible abduction of a maiden from her home after her kinsmen have been slain or wounded and their houses broken open.
A marriage is lawful when a man by stealth seduces a girl who is sleeping or intoxicated
The marriage of a man and a woman who elope is lawful only if after eloping their marriage is solemnized by a priest in the presence of some of their townsmen.
If the charge is true that a young woman was not a virgin on her wedding night, and evidence of the girl's virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her father's house and there her townsmen shall stone her to death, because she committed a sin by her unchasteness in her father's house.
If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must compensate the father with a payment of gold, silver or livestock. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will not be permitted to set her aside (divorce) at a later date.
If within the town a man comes upon a maiden who is betrothed, and has relations with her, you shall bring them both out of the gate of the town and there stone them to death. The girl because she did not cry out for help though she was in the town, and the man because he violated his neighbour's wife.
Verses 14 - 18
You should not let a known witch or sorcerer to live.
A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortune-teller shall be put to death by stoning. Only the Gods can know the future since they have ordained it.
Any man or woman arrogant enough to reject the verdict of a priest who makes offerings to the Gods will be put to death.
Any man or woman who refuses to believe in the Gods and their works, shall be put to death before he or she can spread such untruths
(The End)
N.B.
I will not be posting any more stories (or poems) on this site because story readers on this forum are obsessed with fan fiction at the expense of those of us who don't write fan fiction.
Despite specifically inviting constructive criticism of my posted stories, none has been posted, so I have to assume the stories are not badly written, and yet the number of views for my stories have been few and discouraging in number, despite employing a variety of genres in my story telling. I have decided it is not worth the effort of creating new characters and plot lines, if forum members aren't even prepared to give me a fair shake.
