Chapter 161 Dakshin Bharata Varsam Part: 4


    Day 4 Yuva Utsava, Festival of Youth.


    Vijay is genuinely enthusiastic about the events unfolding today, particrly those rted to the future of the Empire. He often recalls a saying from his previous life, "The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country." Though the quote is attributed to Jawahal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India who made a lot of blunders when he was in office, Vijay recognizes his role in steering India in a distinct direction from Pakistan, a nation with its poption begging abroad. The significance of nurturing the youth for the future resonates with Vijay, and he believes in its relevance.


    So the day was dedicated to the children of the Empire, with various events organized in the pce grounds. Martial artspetitions, archery contests, and track events such as traditional running, ry races, high jump, shot put, and other simr games were part of the festivities.


    It has been 2 years since schools were introduced in the empire. Every year, the number of students enrolling in schools is gradually increasing as the requirements for civil servants also gradually increased. Vijay wanted to make educationpulsory, but he hesitated as he did not have a unifiednguage and ideology to unite the nation''s future. As for adults, it is very hard to change their worldview as they have already solidified their minds about how the world should work, whereas children are different; they are malleable and can be shaped in the right way.


    *p*


    The eventsmenced with a hundred-meter track race for boys under 14. The children ran with all their hearts, cheered on by the crowd. The final winner, a kid in green attire, imed the first prize. In excitement, the people lifted him on their heads and tossed him in the air, and theughter of the victorious child echoed through the grounds.


    After the first event, multiple events took ce to save time. Field events like shot put and high jump were conducted in one part of the pce ground, while in the other part, a ry took ce.


    After thepletion of these track and field events, it was time for group sports. The first sport yed was rugby, essentially American football. The teams ying today had already yed against many schools in the surroundings, and the two teams participating here right now are the finalists.


    Vijay observed this game with interest. It''s peculiar because it feels amazing to y, yet it may not be as entertaining to watch. The sess of American football''smercialization is often attributed to events like the Super Bowl, which turned the game into a spectacle. Additionally, the cultural significance of ying American football in high schools contributed to its sess. These factors yed a crucial role in making it a popr andmercially sessful sport in America. However, many other NFL games don''t enjoy as much viewership, even within the country. Regr-season games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network averaged only a 17.01 household rating.


    The scrum began as the stronger and more bulky boys took the brunt of the opposition yers. With the ball secured, the y officially began. The points fluctuated from one team to another as the strength of both teams was considered even, but finally, it was the blue team that had won.


    On to the next event, it was the Kabaddi event, and now this was the event Vijay was most looking forward to. After introducing the new set of rules to the army, this sport spread like wildfire across the empire. It became so popr that it even spread into the Mughal Empire, and kids could be seen ying in their vige grounds. While the rugby game had to be manually introduced to each school, Kabaddi caught on very quickly as the games, after the rules changed, became more intense and quicker.


    The teams participating today, simr to the rugby game, had already yed against all the schools in the surrounding areas, making them the finalists. The game began with the rider of the blue team stepping inside the opposition team''s court. He first touched the bulk line and became safe. Then the boy, who had the build of a wrestler, went on a hunt. He came to one corner and tried to kick the defender, but he missed. All was not lost as he saw that the defender at the opposite corner hesitated a bit. So taking the chance, he sprang into action as he swept across the field with his hand. The defender on the other corner tried to catch his leg, but with the exmation of the crowd, he managed to jump over the defender and fell into the lobby area. Without any dy, he ran across the court into the midline.


    A simr situation happened with the red team''s rider also. The match was neck and neck, and the crowd was bing more and more intense as there was not even space for the sand to fall down. Finally, it was the red team that ended up as the victor. Vijay was happy as he pped his hands, but seeing therge crowd barely controlled by the guards, he heaved a sigh of relief. He felt lucky that he did not order all the schools in the empire to send their yers to the capital, as that would be disastrous with their parents alsoing with the kids. On another note, he felt like he should soon introduce cricket, football, and other sports. Additionally, he also felt that he should build a stadium for such events. Sports events could bring a nation together unlike any other event in the world. So, he decided to do that in the future.


    The next event was the martial arts matches and a young boy hailing from Ker won the championship. He used a special and distinct style of Kri to snatch the victory. Special events like horse racing also took ce, where a jet-ck horse along with a lean boy wearing a blue headband won the race.


    The events finally came to an end as Vijay awarded everyone their medals of honour and guaranteed amodation to the military and police academies. The kids were very happy as both being a soldier and a policeman offered very good social benefits along with good sries.


    In the evening, it was time for the smart ones to participate as they showcased their talents with various debates, ideas, and creations. Some of them were even admitted to the Bharti Academy of Sciences. Taking this chance, the royal families''panies also recruited a few talented kids.


    Spontaneously, a light show also began depicting various epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Vishnu Purana.


    The day ended with the delightful smiles of the kids who won the various culturalpetitions held.


    Day 5: Vani Pratibhotsava, Celebration of Knowledge


    The fifth day is dedicated to the celebration of knowledge. The Bhartiya civilization is fundamentally centred around knowledge, and the very word "Bharat" trantes to the seeker of light or seeker of knowledge. In the scriptures, most gods are questioned for their morals, and discussions about what is right and wrong are prevalent. This knowledge-centric approach persists even in the 21st century. For instance, the effort to build a temple in Ayodhya for Lord Rama, in his own kingdom and in his own home, involved legal battles for the reconstruction of his home, Again highlighting that questions of what is right and wrong which were asked even in the 21st Century even when it concerns Lord Rama. Vijay ns to bring about changes early on in this timeline and expedite the return of Lord Rama, but overall, the point is that the knowledge-based foundation of the Bhartiya civilization is still alive and well in the future.


    For this event, engineers and scientists from the Bhartiya Academy of Science were invited to give lessons and spreadmon knowledge among the people. Vijay did not even spare Hey Ram, who came out of his busy schedule of manufacturing canons for the Europeans, in order to spread his knowledge about metallurgy and ironworking.


    It was a day for intellectuals. The schrs who were invited to pen the Bhartinguage were put in public view to quarrel among themselves. This had been going on since they arrived, as they quarrelled among themselves for every little disagreement. But Vijay did not mind, as the intellectuals arguing among themselves meant that they had ample opportunity to showcase their talents. The people got bored quickly watching these old men quarrelling among themselves, but a few of them stayed and listened to the interesting conversations that opened their world views. The old men were questioning the nature of everything. Some asked why everything falls down, and some even asked why birds fly. Such questions, which seem to bemon sense, had been asked, forcing open the listeners'' worldview and pointing them towards the path of seeking knowledge.


    The day ended as the old men got tired. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    To Be Continued...