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- Kamal Asthaan, Ujjain -
- May 1, 1938 -
The throne room of Kamal Asthaan had never felt so alive. The golden sun of early May streamed through stained-glass windows, casting soft hues of saffron, green, and indigo across polished marble floors. Every inch of the grand hall seemed to hum with quiet reverence—as if history itself held its breath.
At the center of it all, on a raised platform of carved sandalwood inlaid with lapis lazuli and onyx, Samrat Aryan sat upon the Throne of Ujjain. His posture was regal, yet unassuming. He wore his ceremonial robes of ivory and deep maroon, embroidered in ancient script, with a radiant Tilak of Dharma on his forehead. A finely wrought angavastram, edged in gold thread and embroidered with the symbol of Kamal Chakra, draped over his left shoulder.
Flanking him on either side stood the assembled Constitution Assembly—the proud architects of a new nation. At the forefront was Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, calm, firm, and composed. He wore a navy blue coat and round glasses, with a freshly bound copy of the Constitution of Akhand Bharatiya Samrajyam in his hands.
To his right stood Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, solid and resolute, the leader of the Congress bloc. Though he and Aryan had debated many clauses, his eyes now shone with the silent pride of a statesman who had seen his people rise.
The hall was packed. Behind the assembly stood members of both political blocs—the BSS, led by Aryan's parents Ravi and Anjali Rajvanshi, and the Congress, led by Sardar Patel. Ministers, Governors, and representatives from every corner of Bharat filled the galleries.
Among them was Shakti Nath Roy, radiant in a crimson sari, seated close to the front, her eyes never leaving Aryan. Today, she was not just Aryan's betrothed. She was the future Empress of Bharat.
The air was thick with anticipation. Along the walls, Bharat's sole national television broadcast cameras stood quietly, their glass eyes unblinking. Radio microphones hummed with readiness. Foreign correspondents from France, America, Germany, Russia, Japan, and more stood with notebooks in hand, save for the British—whose absence had been noted, but not missed.
A soft bell chimed. The moment had come.
Dr. Ambedkar stepped forward.
"Samrat Aryan Rajvanshi, bearer of the Dharma Mandala and guardian of the civilizational flame," he began, voice steady and deliberate, "on this first day of May, in the year 1938, I stand before you not as a man of title—but as a humble servant of the people."
He raised the leather-bound manuscript, hands trembling only slightly.
"What I now place before you, and before this great gathering, is not just a constitution—it is the will of Bharat. Drafted not in haste or borrowed ink, but with dialogue, dissent, and Dharma as our compass."
He opened the first page and read aloud:
"We, the People of the Akhand Bharatiya Samrajyam, in full faith of our civilizational wisdom and modern aspirations, hereby establish this Constitution—firm in our unity, rooted in our diversity, and devoted to justice, liberty, knowledge, and harmony."
The hall stirred.
"We declare today that Bharat shall henceforth be known as the Akhand Bharatiya Samrajyam—the Undivided Civilizational Commonwealth of Bharat. A union where the Samrat and the People's Mandate shall share power, not in conflict—but in complement."
He turned toward Aryan and continued:
"As per the final agreement, this Constitution enshrines a governance model unique to our soul—a dual sovereignty, balancing tradition with modern democracy."
_______
Dr. Ambedkar raised his hand and listed some of the important paris of each pillar with solemn clarity:
• The Samrat, as Guardian of Dharma, shall hold:
- The power of Imperial Decrees, aligned with Rashtradharma.
- The Seal of Rajya Raksha, invoked in moments of war or national paralysis.
- Full authority over Cultural Doctrine, education, identity, and national memory.
• The Prime Minister, elected by the people, shall lead:
- All civilian governance and ministries.
- Economic policy and budgeting, with Crown consent on strategic sectors.
- All international diplomacy, pending Imperial assent.
• The Military will pledge its oath to the Samrat as Supreme Commander, but its strategic and operational control will be shared with the civilian government.
• The Judiciary will remain fully independent, with Supreme Court judges appointed jointly by the Samrat, Prime Minister, and Parliament.
• The Lok Sabha, elected via a French-style two-round system, shall represent the voice of the people.
• The Rajya Sabha, composed of:
- MLAs' proportional representation,
- All sitting Chief Ministers,
- All State Governors, and
- A number of members directly appointed by the Samrat, shall serve as a stabilizing chamber of federal wisdom.
• The succession of the Samrat shall be decided by:
- Either a Rite of Passage or
- A Challenge of Dharma, issued by the reigning Samrat.
- Every 21 years, a Dharma Mandate—a ritual of public renewal—must affirm the people's trust in the Samrat's continued rule.
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He placed the bound document before Aryan.
"Samrat," Ambedkar said, voice softer now, "we give you the Constitution. Not to rule with it, but to uphold it. For you are not its master—you are its first servant."
There was silence.
Aryan rose from the throne.
He stepped down slowly and walked to the podium before the gathered nation. His hands touched the Constitution with a reverence one reserves for scripture.
Then he spoke, voice calm yet resounding.
"This is not my throne. This is not even mine to sit on. It belongs to the people. To every child who dreams, every woman who fights, every farmer who feeds, and every worker who builds."
He raised the Constitution high for all to see.
"From this moment forward, I pledge myself to this sacred contract. As your Samrat, I shall wield no power that is not earned through Dharma, and I shall speak no word that does not honor your voice."
His gaze swept across the hall—to Patel, to Ambedkar, to Shakti, to his parents, and finally to the people.
"Let the world know," Aryan declared, "that Bharat has chosen its own path. Not East or West, not ancient or modern, but a path of its own making."
The crowd rose In a standing ovation. Some wept. Some embraced. A chant broke out from the back of the hall and spread like fire:
"Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Jai Samrat! Jai Samvidhan!"
The sound echoed off the marble walls, carried beyond the gates of Kamal Asthaan, down the wide avenues of Ujjain, across radio waves and camera broadcasts—into the hearts of millions.
________
- Across Bharat -
- May 2–10, 1938 -
The Constitution was not just ink on parchment anymore.
In the days that followed the grand ceremony in Ujjain, it began its quiet journey—page by page, headline by headline, whisper by whisper—into the homes, hearts, and conversations of ordinary Bharatiyas.
Every city, town, and village had something to say.
________
In a modest tea shop in Allahabad, an elderly man stirred his cup slowly while listening to the radio crackle with updates from the central news channel.
"…Section 18.3 of the new Constitution mandates the abolition of untouchability in any form—social, economic, religious or otherwise—and designates such discrimination as a punishable offense under national law…"
The tea vendor glanced toward the old man and said, "Kaka, does that mean… you can sit with me now?"
The old man gave a wry smile. "I could always sit, beta. But now, if someone throws me out, they'll answer to the law. That's the difference."
He took a sip.
________
In a village near Guntur, Sita Bai sat under a neem tree with her sister-in-law, both balancing their children on their laps as they listened to a young schoolteacher read from the local paper.
"…and Section 22.4 ensures equal rights to inheritance for women, regardless of caste, marital status, or regional custom…"
Sita Bai looked confused. "You mean, if my husband dies, his land is mine too?"
The teacher nodded. "Yes. Not your brother-in-law's. Not your uncle's. Yours."
Sita Bai stared into the distance, her child tugging at her sari. "I… I don't know what I'll do with land. But maybe my daughter will."
________
In a cloth merchant's home in Surat, the family sat around the dinner table discussing the day's news with cautious hope.
"Did you see the clause on gender neutrality in employment?" the eldest daughter said, setting down the paper. "It says no job—government or private—can deny women the same pay or post as a man if she's qualified."
The grandfather scoffed. "That's ideal talk. You think they'll really let a woman manage a textile mill?"
Her mother looked up from the chapati she was tearing. "Maybe not now. But if the law is there… we can start walking toward it."
________
In a tribal hamlet in Bastar, a radio played softly in a school built from mud bricks and bamboo. A volunteer from the education ministry had arrived that week, translating the Constitution into Gondi and Halbi.
The children, wide-eyed, sat around him as he read:
"Clause 27.2: The rights of tribal people over their forests, land, and cultural heritage shall be protected. Forced displacement without informed consent shall be illegal…"
An older man In the back muttered, "Then why are the forest contractors still here?"
The volunteer didn't deny it. He simply said, "Now you have a law to stand on. And we're here to teach you how."
________
In newspaper stalls across Calcutta, Lahore, Karachi, Rangoon, Bombay, and Madras, editorials flooded in from all sides. Some praised the vision. Some questioned the practicality. Some, especially from old colonial-aligned newspapers, warned of "too much freedom, too fast."
But most readers weren't scanning columns for validation. They were reading to understand. What does it mean, this "phasing out of caste"? What happens after 15 years? How will they judge whether caste is "irrelevant"? Who will decide?
The answers weren't clear. But the conversation had begun.
________
In a Dalit household in Kanpur, a young man named Mohan read the printed excerpt aloud to his parents.
"A national commission will monitor the upliftment of Scheduled Castes and Tribes over a 15-year period. Access to education, healthcare, jobs, and representation will be recorded. At the end of this phase, a full review will be conducted, and the caste system—if no longer socially or economically justified—shall be abolished entirely…"
Mohan's mother whispered, "Will they really do it?"
He didn't respond right away. Then said softly, "Even if they try, Amma… for the first time, someone put it in writing."
________
In a haveli in Jaipur, an upper-caste zamindar family sat with furrowed brows.
"So they'll take away our temple rights too?" one uncle grumbled. "Anyone can walk in now?"
A younger cousin, a college student, replied, "Why not? If Dharma is true, it shouldn't fear who enters the temple."
The silence that followed wasn't angry. It was uncertain.
The older generation sat back, grumbling under their breath. But the younger ones… they stayed quiet, thinking.
________
The students In modern schools, like Riya and Fareed, read the Constitution in civics class—not like a textbook, but like a torchlight. They debated the merits of the Dharma Mandate, argued over shared military authority, and even questioned if 15 years was enough to undo centuries of injustice.
"Some people will fake reform just to remove reservations," one student said.
"And some people won't change unless they're made to," another replied.
"But at least now," Riya added, "we get to ask these questions without being told to shut up."
________
By the end of the week, town halls across Bharat had started "People's Reading Sessions", where parts of the Constitution were explained in local languages. Farmers, laborers, craftsmen, women's collectives—all began asking: Where do I fit in this new Bharat?
And while not all were convinced, and not all were ready, something had shifted.
The Constitution wasn't perfect. Some felt it asked too much, too soon. Others worried it didn't ask enough. But no one could deny—
It had been written for them.
And that… was a beginning.
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