Obsolete Idols

When the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China was launching world’s first 6G satellite, India’s Prime Minister was inaugurating the renovation of Somnath Temple. Temples and statues are India’s PM’s priorities.

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project was inaugurated by the PM two months before the UP assembly election. Of course, there is no link between the two events. Our PM is above silly sectarian thinking. He is a globe-trotter, we all know. Nay, he is the Messiah of the world, Vishwaguru.

Nevertheless, let us not ignore the fact that he is the chairman of Somnath Temple Trust. He inaugurated the renovation projects of that temple in August 2021 though the temple had been renovated after independence by the then deputy PM Sardar Patel.

Soon after Modiji became PM, he launched the renovation project of the Kedarnath Temple. Now that work is over. You are welcome to Modiji’s Kedarnath.

The grand Ayodhya Temple’s foundation stone was laid by Modiji in Aug 2020. The PM also launched the Char Dham project to connect the holy pilgrimage centres of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The latest project is the Mahakal Lok Corridor of Ujjain, inaugurated just a few weeks back.

Revamping of the temples in Kashmir started soon after the abrogation of article 370 in 2019. The Union Minister for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy, claimed that 50,000 temples in Kashmir were going to be restored and reopened. Cynics, as usual, allege that the figure is an exaggeration. They say that there are no more than 4000 temples in the entire length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir.

Modiji’s love for temples does not end with the Line of Control. In 2018, he laid the foundation stone for a majestic temple in Abu Dhabi. Next year, he launched a multi-million-dollar renovation project of a 200-year-old temple in Bharain. Hinduism is becoming a global religion, thanks to Modiji. Let us hope that one day Modiji will become an idol in some of those temples in the Arab deserts and beyond.

Modiji has given ideas to the world what kind of statues of his can be erected. He has given to the world the Statue of Unity (world’s tallest so far with its 182 metres), the Hanuman statue in Morbi (where a catastrophe happened recently due to the corruption of the very antinational builder), the Hologram of Subhash Chandra Bose, Statue of Equality in Hyderabad, and Shivaji Statue in Pune.

Envious people like Dr Shashi Tharoor says that Modiji is suffering from acute inferiority complex and that’s why he’s boosting the ego of all Hindus through these projects and constructions. Hindus see themselves as “having been invaded, oppressed, defeated and humiliated for a thousand years,” says Tharoor. “So now they want to hit back and assert themselves.” Let us all feel proud of these statues and temples. Jai Hind.

In the meanwhile, our enemy number one, China [Pak has relinquished that place accepting Modiji’s stature as the Vishwaguru], has been working on science and technology, and infrastructure development including building roads into India (well, almost). That country now holds the largest number of patents related to 5G and 6G. China is way ahead of other countries in 5G and 6G technology and research. China is the global leader for 5G with the largest 5G mobile infrastructure in the world with 1.43 million base stations.

5G and 6G will revolutionise technology in more ways than one can imagine. With 6G, the world won’t be what it is today. It’s not just about the speed of data transfer which, of course, is going to be 1000 Gbps [contrast with 4g’s 100 Mbps]. It’s more about connecting everything and everybody together in an intricate network. You can operate your vacuum cleaner in your Chennai home while you are relaxing in your Delhi hotel after the conference on the role of robots in the classroom or something like that.

China has not stopped with 6G. It has built some marvels like the Sichuan-Tibet railway, South-North Water Transfer Project, Yantai-Dalian Underwater Tunnel (90 km), and the Taiwan Strait Tunnel.

But, in the end, that is a godless country. What good is it then? We have our abundant gods and a lot of temples. Thank God.

PS. Written in response to Indispire prompt: China is moving towards 6G digital technology. India is still obsessed with statues and temples. Don't forget that we were the 70th country to switch to 5G and that too only in a few cities. Aren't we being given obsolete idols to worship? #ObsoleteIdols