Crispy morning with PM2.5 level at 560. Visibility restricted to 600 meters but the feel of the new Central Vista hangs in the air. The new zone of Central Vista has its own oxygen and air purifier plants.
Took my seat in the hi-tech PURIFIED AIR KIOSK with a tagline – Air that Purifies Mind – installed at the gate. Purified air given for 30 seconds is for free. Rs 500 for every extra minute.
Sir, gate pass?
Me: Sorry, I thought aadhar card will work.
No sir, you need to have a gate pass to enter into the building.
Me: Okay, did not know that. How does one get it now?
Uff, you people come here without any proper homework. This is not old India, sir. All information available on the website. Free helpline number also given there only to plan a visit to Central Vista.
Me: Very impressive but please help me now. I don't have a pass.
Next time you come, come with prior pass only. This time helping you. Use your aadhar number to log in to centralvista.co.in/guestvisit. Fill up the form and click on the subscribe button to receive newsletters from Central Vista Uththaan Samiti. This is mandatory, ok? After that, you will get the pass on your email. Your pancard and bank account linked with aadhar no?
Me: Yes, they are linked. But why do you ask?
From the bank account linked to your aadhar card, a fee will be deducted automatically.
Me: Fee? Isn't the visit supposed to be for free?
No sir, 2,000 rupees only per visit. Don't we all need to contribute to rashtra nirmaan. All this money goes into HE-CARES fund.
There are discount options also. After one week of regular visit, 10 percent discount. Combo discount voucher of 20 percent if you visit Museum of Erstwhile Nation.
Me: Oh, never heard of this place. What is it?
Yes, a new building of New India. We don't need that old National Museum.
Me: Achcha, but now, what do I do? How can I go inside to see some files, do some research? I have heard so many great things about this archive.
Sir, you are mistaken. This is not archive. Not any longer.
This is Centre for Inventing History and Glorifying Tradition.
Me: Yes yes, sorry, my bad. I can see that. Even the bricks of this building remind me of Vedic Mohenjodaro's snnanagaar, that famous public swimming hall whose pictures we saw in History textbooks.
Yes sir, but no need to be sarcastic. Okay? I also remember seeing those pics in bad Marxist history textbooks. But now, we have no textbooks. In fact, no books. Only texts.
Me: What texts?
Texts of what HE says on radio, television, and rallies. They are printed and distributed.
Direct communication sir, between people and HIM.
Me: How interesting!
Me: Oh, I have read them as well. But for History …
Yes, yes, isn't Indian history also like that only? Direct communication. Between past and present. You see sir, in India except bribe which we take via-media, for everything else we do direct communication. This is the land of culture of shruti and smriti. HE says, we memorise.
A nation with strong tradition does not need History. Tradition IS History. What role documents have in all this, hah! Unnecessary paper wastage, storage.
We don't need to know the past. We live in the past.
Me: I see. Very convincing, but archive is important, right. The state needs to preserve documents for future. Archives is the memory card of the state. State policies and deliberations that go behind them need to be preserved. And anyway, archive is no longer just a state institution. It is a public institution. People need to see these documents to write about that past time. People remember things selectively. Of course, documents also give selective viewpoints. That is why, we need to see them, to see what 'politics of selectivity' the state practised.
Buss, buss, you are wasting my time now. I have many other things to do. Listen, if you want to go inside, do the registration and show me your pass. Now, move on to the side. You are blocking the way for other customers.
And yes, use this one time login password to 5G Central Vista internet. You do know that internet existed in the times of Mahabharta, right? Like that, this one is also ekdum superfast. It is now provided by Chinese technology under the programme of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Me: With the use of the Make in India Chinese 5G technology, I finish the registration, pay 2,000 rupees to rashtra nirmaan, opt for 10 percent discount voucher as I do intend to come here for more than one week, and join the queue of registered customers waiting to enter into the Centre of Inventing Past and Glorifying Tradition.
A large hall. Smart laptops on every desk, secured to the legs of the table with long copper lockwires. The screensaver floating in complete sync on all laptops: "Together We Create New History".
Flashy smart screens adoring the walls, displaying charismatic pictures of HIM.
In one corner, a name plate hung from the ceiling. On it was written, Senior Tradition Executive.
Under the hanging plate is a desk. The front of it displays embossed words in saffron colour:
CHOOSE YOUR PAST.
A lady asks me, sir, what is your topic of research.
Me: The Idea (History) of Archives.
(representative Photo by sandeep gill on Unsplash, copyright free)
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