The Misfire

One of the wealthiest men in the country, who had risen riding his business in jewellery manufacturing sat focussed on the screen of his smartphone.



He was scrolling through a map of a place across the country in the opposite direction from where he was. He took a screenshot and then made a call.



“I sent you a screenshot. Find out what is there,” said the wealthy man and it was found that the land was barren and was not under any form of use. The settlements were slowly fading with people moving to find better employment opportunities.



The wealthy man called a meeting and announced, “We will make history, we will create a lot of jobs and the possibility of a better life where there is barely a soul living at the moment. People will remember me.. ..us yes.. they will remember us as the light that ascended into their lives.”



“What exactly are we planning to do there?” came a question



“Good question..” said the wealthy man confusing others who wondered what was good in the obvious, “we are going to open a battery manufacturing plant, electric vehicles are the trend and the future”



“Wouldn’t that be a risk?” asked a stakeholder, “we don’t possess any expertise in the field”



“We will learn,” smiled the wealthy man, “let’s start looking for the right people and begin preparations



Gifts were bought and they were packed with care and sent with care to the chief minister of the state where the land was located.



The chief minister announced on the news, “The upliftment of people is always my priority and thus I suggested this initiative and found someone interested.” People were shown screaming with appreciation on the news, without anyone highlighting that most of them were the members of the same political party.



People with knowledge in the field were gathered. Experts who had worked with leading brands in the sector were called to train these people. Some of the experts were inspired with a well-sounding approach and some interesting numbers which would appear in their accounts, to work for the longest term.



The months passed and after a long process of formalities and official and unofficial financial transactions, the construction began and completed in two years and six months.



The hiring process started with the search for workers especially those who had no family or no obligation towards the one they had. They would live here, work here and then at the right time would be forcefully retired here as well.



“This is the opportunity for the nation to rise in the international market along with us of course,” said the smiling wealthy man with the chief minister standing with a smile of similar pretense but with a lot more depth.



The work began at full strength and people kept at it with all the enthusiasm they could muster. More settlements came up with proper houses and roads and a hospital was built, the first in the area and also a private school which was also a first.


Everything was well for four long years but it stopped one day, everything stopped. People stood outside the closed gates of the plant, where a big notice told them that there would be no further work ‘for now’.



There was a great uproar, from activists, opposition parties and even the party in power. The news covered the story of how the batteries made could not be sustained with a few trial vehicles experiencing faults of different nature with the worst of them being explosions of the battery. No near solution could be found and many of the clients who had associated themselves deviated.



No one had a clue what was to be done with all that had developed around this venture. 



“There is nothing to worry about,” said the wealthy man, “everything and everyone will eventually find their place, let’s sit and think of the next big expansion… I am thinking about the production of solar panels.. They are the trend and they are the future.”

Written by Anuran Chatterji

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