November had come to Bengal, bringing with it chilly winds and a lot of Hindu festivals like Diwali, Chatth, and Kali Puja among others. Due to the recent tragedies that happened in Bihar, Bengal, and Orissa, there wasn't a festive mood in the region though.
Peace had just returned for a couple of months but the fear remained in the hearts of the people. Add to that the economic stagnation for almost two years, the people just didn't have enough for grand celebrations.
'Festivals and celebrations are the best way to bring people together. I should try to get my family and the other rich people in Bengal to sponsor large-scale celebrations from next year.'
Vir had the thought of using the celebrations of both Hindu and Muslim festivals as a medium to bring the Muslim and minority Hindu communities in Bengal together. If Bihar and Orissa were added into the mix, the whole region under Nawab Alivardi Khan's influence could develop a shared identity.
While thinking random thoughts, Vir was observing the people across the street engaged in their traditional worship ceremony. He had come out to observe the festival season but he was disappointed.
In Bombay, he had never really gone out of the house, and although his mother was Hindu, since his father was Jain even if only in name, there were no festival celebrations at their home. At least they had special foods during the different festival seasons sent by their business partners.
Vir remembered the Diwali celebrations from his past life that were colorful and filled with lights and compared that scene to the current celebrations he was observing. He had forgotten for a moment that those cheap Chinese festive lights hadn't even been invented yet.
Like everything else in the world, festivals and celebrations also change over time. The celebrations he remembers were influenced by a nation of people asserting their cultural identity in defiance of the oppressive British rule and its cultural dominance.
When the Mughals tried to suppress the Hindu culture, the Hindus fought back by embracing their culture and traditions more than they ever did. This even gave the Marathas a chance to gather supporters for the idea of a subcontinent ruled by a Hindu empire.
Ironically, a little while later, this new change once again allowed a new empire the opportunity to conquer India. The British took the differences that were building up between the people and exacerbated them to make the people fight each other.
'Well, they won't be able to do that this time. They can go take their chances in China with the hard-headed Qing dynasty.'
Vir walked away from the celebrations and went back home. The teachers hired for the orphanage were supposed to arrive tomorrow. He had a lot to prepare before that. He couldn't seem like just a kid from a rich family being indulged by his elders. Although that was technically what he was, there was more to him and he needed to show that.
….
The next morning, Swarup complained to Vir after breakfast, "I had so much trouble finding the teachers that you wanted. On top of that, I had to find emergency accommodations for them until the orphanage buildings are completed. You're pushing your uncle too much, nephew."
The male members of the family had their breakfast together and were longing while discussing recent events and businesses. The only member from the younger generation in the meeting was Vir, one of the youngest members in the house.
"I don't see you losing any weight over it, so don't whine. How is the preparation going anyway?" Fateh Chand jokingly scolded Swarup.
"The construction is in full swing. It is a bit upstream of the Hooghly River so taking the construction material there is a hassle but there is plenty of lands to build everything with quite a bit of farmland. Everything should be ready within a month and a half."
Fateh Chand smiled with satisfaction at the answer. He had been feeling himself getting weaker every day and knew that his time was drawing near, so the orphanage built in his name became even more important to him as the weeks passed.
"You said that the books were prepared by Vir right? I know Vir is a smart child but have you reviewed the books? What do you think of them?" The first time Fateh Chand heard about it, he was shocked that Vir had prepared even the books. But he had been skeptical.
Although everyone thought of Vir as a precocious child with an intellect beyond his years, his age always cast a layer of uncertainty over his words. Although Swarup and Madhab who had spent a month or so longer with Vir were more inclined to trust him, it wasn't the same for Fateh.
It was Madhab who vouched for Vir this time, "I was shocked when Swarup showed them to me. Just the organization of the topics in increasing levels of difficulty starting from the basics is something to be admired and replicated in other schools. The contents of the topics were even more shocking."
"Is that so?" Fateh Chand furrowed his brows in interest.
"Yes, grandfather. After reading a few books, I even felt that I needed to go back to school to study these things. The Europeans were getting far ahead of us without us even realizing or caring about it. We might be swallowed by the Europeans at this rate."
The thing that struck Madhab the most was that they were unaware of the advancements going on in the rest of the world. While they were stuck in their ways, the world was moving forward without them.
"Right. They are studying chemicals, metals, machines, and everything and using them to improve their industry. It wouldn't be a surprise if they overtook us in the production industry. I was so surprised that they are using machines run on steam to do the work easily that needed tens of people to labor for hours."
Swarup's exclamation made Fateh Chand turn to him and ask, "What? What do you mean?"
Swarup didn't immediately explain and turned to Vir who was observing the entire conversation with a smile. "Nephew, you know the most about it so you explain it."
Vir was startled by the sudden passing of the baton but composed himself and began explaining, "Grandfather, you must have seen the lids of rice pots being lifted by steam when cooking rice, right?"
Fateh Chand thought for a moment and nodded.
"Some scientists managed to harness that phenomenon to use the steam that comes from heating the water to run their machines. They use it to do things like pumping water out of mines and crushing limestones. They are even designing a loom that runs entirely with the power of steam."
Gasps of exclamation rang out in the room that was silenced by what Vir had just told them. They were all businessmen, they knew what this new technology meant. The textile industry in Bengal might collapse entirely if cheap, machine-made textiles appeared on the market.
But Vir had even more surprises for them, "They are also studying different chemicals to produce cheap dyes in a variety of colors. They are improving their metallurgy technology to produce better steels in much larger quantities. Europeans are studying many things."
After a long period of silence where everyone was tapping away at the calculators in their heads, Fateh Chand took a deep breath.
"Hoo. I lived by the creed that an ignorant businessman is always the first to fail. I thought I was ahead of everyone because of my superior intelligence gathering and an attitude of constant learning but I didn't know that I have also been ignorant all this time."
"You don't have to worry too much, grandfather. Although they are ahead of us right now, a lot of the things they are studying will take decades to become viable. We can catch up to them in no time if we start now. That's why the school is even more important." Vir concoled.
"That's right. They have one-fifth the population that we have just in Bengal, we can produce a lot more scientists, researchers, and inventors if we put our mind to it. We can learn from them and surpass them." Swarup added his voice of support.
'What happens when the richest banking family becomes enlightened about the importance of studying science and technology? Will it lead to the largest investment banking firm the world has ever known?'
Vir got goosebumps just thinking about the changes that could happen because one family in a corner of the Indian subcontinent stopped remaining ignorant of the changes in the distant lands.
"We need to promote the schools even better then. Open up the school for free for anyone who wants to attend. Since we are already paying for the orphanage and the teachers, might as well use the opportunity to spread the education further." Fateh Chand declared.
"How about distributing the books to all the schools in Bengal?" Anand asked.
"It can't be done right away. There are so many things that even the teachers need to learn themselves before they can be able to teach. That's why Vir gathered the teachers early to train them." Swarup countered with valid reasons.
After that, ideas began to flow freely about how to promote education so that we could catch up with the Westerners.
"Then we can use those trained teachers to continue training more teachers and send them out to run schools on their own."
"What about asking for the Nawab's help? It is not just our problem. We can do much more with the help of the Nawab." Daya suggested including others in their plans.
"You think the hard-headed nobles who are preoccupied with gaining just an inch more of land and taxing just a single rupee more from the poor will care about this problem? I bet most of them wouldn't even understand what the problem is, to begin with."
This time Vir chimed in, "I think there is no harm in promoting schools and education just through our family. There is a certain cost burden but it won't even make a dent in our treasury. Instead, it will only make us richer in the future. And there are more benefits to be had."
After getting everyone's attention with a dramatic pause, Vir continued, "Since it is the education that is designed and provided by us, we have control of what and how kids learn. We can plant the ideas that we want in their heads from an early age."
All the adults shuddered at the words of Vir that sounded like a devil's temptation. Planting ideas and directing the thoughts of a whole generation was an idea that had never even crossed their minds. But a child had thought of such a devious scheme.
Seeing the apprehension in most of the adults' eyes, Vir added an explanation, "It doesn't have to be sinister. We could plant ideas like hard work, innovation, loyalty, compassion, and gratitude. A tool isn't good or bad in itself, it matters who uses it and with what purpose."
That brightened up the faces of the people in the room. Only Fateh Chand had an unchanging expression throughout Vir's explanation.
"We might not be able to control all of the schools in Bengal, but we can at least influence a good chunk of them. Before anyone else realizes the use of Education as a tool like this, we should discreetly take the lead. Make it a plan to be realized in 5 or 10 years."
'It is impressive that he is thinking of a long-term vision for a stable growth of influence instead of trying a quick and haphazard method. Old age hasn't dulled his mind.'
Fateh Chand added a warning, "I trust all of you in this room. But I hope none of you ever speak of this conversation in the outside world."
Everyone in the room was either one of the children of Fateh Chand or his oldest aides. So there was no chance of any information leaking out of the room. The continued growth of the family meant their personal growth as well. Nothing is better than shared interests for building trust.
"You are a blessing not just to our family but to this land itself. If you were older I would have thought about putting you together with Madhab and Swarup as a successor." Fateh Chand spoke surprising words to Vir.
Surprised, the elders looked at Madhab and Swarup to gauge their reactions. But unexpectedly, the two didn't seem to mind those words.
"We were already talking about Vir being next in line to lead the family after us. I doubt we will have children smarter than this kid. He is already half an advisor to us."
Madhab nodded in approval of Swarup's words. Their easy acceptance changed the somewhat awkward atmosphere into a cheerful and harmonious one.
Fateh Chand gave his approval too, "That's how it should be. It is good if the successor can be your blood. But we are businessmen and bankers, not nobles and kings. What we value is the competence of the family head."