I am a master in India

Chapter 368 Wonderful

"Mother, are you saying that Hinduism allows men to have four wives?"

"Brahman."

"Yes, but I've never heard of it before."

Ron knew that herdsmen could have four wives, but he had never heard of Hindus doing so.

Could there be some connection between the two?
"It is only recorded in the ancient Manusmriti; the current version no longer exists."

"What a pity..."

"What did you say?"

“Oh, what I mean is that it’s a bit of a shame that the magnificent Manusmriti couldn’t be passed down in its entirety.”

"If India wants to become a modern and powerful nation, it must discard the outdated aspects of its religion."

“Yes, you’re right.” Ron nodded obediently.

Since the Congress Party came to power, it has actually been pursuing a secular approach.

Their goal is to achieve India's modernization gradually through relatively moderate means.

Therefore, modern law replaced religious codes, and the Marriage Law promulgated in the 50s prohibited Hindus from practicing polygamy.

Relevant content in the Manu Code was also deliberately deleted, and most of the versions now displayed in bookstores are censored versions.

Ron was born in the 70s and had never heard of his own religion or such a tradition.

The middle class in modern cities has also accepted this legal constraint.

However, this custom has been preserved in some underdeveloped and impoverished areas.

Some Hindus even convert to Islam to circumvent legal restrictions and legally marry multiple wives.

"Mom, you wouldn't want me to..."

*Smack!* Jaya Lalita slapped him.

"What a pipe dream! You've already taken advantage of two women. Do you really want to marry four wives according to the Laws of Manu?"

"Of course not, how could I do such a thing? I got them pregnant because I loved them, not because of religion."

Ron's mind raced. Oh dear, why didn't anyone tell him before that Brahmins could have four wives?

How could he disobey the true God if the Laws of Manu stipulated this?

He must have had his reasons for allowing him to marry four wives, so that four families could be relieved of their burdens.

Well, yes, that's it.

The people around me are all idiots; they don't even know this.

“I said that because your situation is special,” Jayalita sighed.

“I will do whatever you say, Mother.”

“You can marry Verma’s daughter, but you must also marry Kavia.”

"How do I do it?" Ron asked humbly.

"Two women, one in North India and one in South India. They don't need to meet and don't interfere with each other. However, since your business is in Mumbai, they can stagger their visits there to reunite with you."

"Wonderful!" Ron almost clapped his hands.

"It's come to this, there's nothing we can do now." He was filled with shame.

Jayalita looked at him without saying a word, as if she saw through everything.

“But I still have a question,” he said.

"what?"

"Even if Isha and Kavia both agree, how will the legal issues be resolved?"

Under modern Indian law, a man can only have one legal wife.

So who is the legitimate heir? This concerns future inheritance rights.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say.” Jayalalita straightened her posture.

"Yes, I'm listening."

"Putting aside legal matters for now, you must treat both of their children equally from now on."

“Of course.” Ron shook his head.

"The same right of inheritance."

"Ok?"

"Those from the north go to the north, and those from the south go to the south. You must provide a written guarantee."

“Mom, it’s not that I don’t agree, but business matters can’t be decided so drastically.”

Take Suer Electric for example. It has branches all over India. If you forcibly break it up, it's like crippling yourself.

"Of course I know. What I mean is that different industries can be separated. I heard you also have cement and mining businesses up north?"

“These are all just the beginning, Mom. I think it’s too early to talk about this now,” Ron thought she was being too hasty.

“You don’t understand. Some things have to be decided now. Once the children grow up and have their own ideas, some things will be harder to discuss.”

Ron was taken aback; he hadn't really thought that far ahead. As the first leader, no one dared to question his decision.

But what about decades from now? Will the next generation turn against each other?

The Ambani brothers, who were biological brothers, are the best example of this.

“Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll make the decision for Kaviya, which will also be the most basic guarantee for her. From now on, you and her child will manage the port in Tamil.”

"Okay." Ron nodded in agreement.

"But that's not enough. Any business you own now is more profitable than the port. You need to be compensated at least a little more, and it can't be less than the scale of the cement plant and the mining business."

“Let’s ship it,” Ron sighed.

"Shipping?"

"This was originally a future plan, but since you asked, I'll talk about it."

Ennor Port is just the first step; once a port is established, shipping is needed to support it.

The world is currently in a golden age of rapid development, and globalization is accelerating. What is globalization? Simply put, it's trade!
I predict that global demand for shipping will be extremely strong over the next two or three decades.

This is an opportunity, and now is the perfect time to get in. We'll start with domestic shipping in India and then gradually expand to surrounding areas.

Of course, I won't only have one port; I plan to buy a few more ports in Gujarat.

Trade with the Persian Gulf countries has been growing, and current cargo throughput is far from meeting demand.

"Mom, I'm very optimistic about this business. The port of Ennor in Madras will open in six months. When you come, you'll see so many ships you won't be able to count them all."

Jayalalita believed this statement. During her time in detention, she also watched a lot of news.

There have been numerous reports of ship congestion in the port of Madras, which is so busy that the docks can't keep up with the demand.

According to Ron, if the ports were to expand their shipping businesses further, it should be enough to support Kavia and the children.

“If I have the opportunity to govern again in the future, I will approve a few more ports for you in Tamil.”

“That would be best, of course, it’s all for the children,” Ron readily agreed.

"It's going to be tough on Kavia," Jayalalita said, feeling somewhat ashamed.

"what?"

"In any case, in modern India, one can only have one legal wife. You should register your marriage with the daughter of the Verma family."

"Mom?" Ron looked at her in surprise.

This was truly unexpected for him; as Kavia's aunt, she had actually given this opportunity to an outsider.

“I can’t control what happens outside, but in Tamil, I will make Kavia your legal wife. Don’t worry about the paperwork; I’ll have someone take care of that.”

"You mean the normal procedures are followed in New Delhi, but Tamil Nadu uses a separate system?"

"Nothing is impossible. As long as you don't make this public, no one will care."

“I understand.” Ron nodded.

Jaya Lalita's intentions were quite clear: Verma's daughter, Isa, would become Ron's wife in name only.

That is, in New Delhi, in the North Indian region, their relationship is legally recognized.

But in Tamil Nadu, Jayalita could manipulate things to make Kavia Ron's legal wife.

It sounds like bigamy, or concealing the registration.

But are there any legal risks involved? For example, what if they find out that Ron's marital status is chaotic and conflicted?

In other countries, it might be clear, but in India, it's not possible.

If they really had that ability, the number of cases in Mumbai wouldn't have piled up to tens of millions.

The situation varies from state to state in India, with local authorities possessing extensive legislative power.

The four southern Indian states have always been at odds with northern India, as their cultures, languages, customs, and even ethnicities are different.

If it weren't for Great Britain, the four southern Indian states would never have been united into the nation of India.

The estrangement between them is far deeper than outsiders can imagine.

So Jaya Lalita said that making Kavia Ron's legal wife was no joke.

She could easily get the Tamil judiciary and society to recognize their marital relationship.

However, its geographical reach is ultimately limited to Tamil Nadu, and it cannot compare to the influence of New Delhi.

Ron now realized why Jayalita had been in such a hurry to get him to clearly assign ownership of the port.

In terms of status, Kavia was at a disadvantage, and she wanted to make it up to her niece.

"But no matter what, the agreement between the north and the south still stands. They are equal in status and enjoy the same rights."

"Yes, I promise."

“I’ll go and persuade Kavia,” Jayalita said, already prepared.

"Let me tell her the news first; she's pregnant with my child."

Jayalita gave him a deep look. "You're a real man. You didn't run away in the face of battle."

“I’ve always been a responsible person,” Ron said, regaining his composure.

"Let's go down, Kavia must be getting impatient."

"Wait, Mom, have you thought about what will happen after you get out of prison?"

"What?" Jayalita, who was about to get up, sat back down.

"I mean, what are your thoughts on the upcoming political situation in Tamil?"

“It has only been a year since the general election. AIADMK needs to study its previous defeat carefully in order to make a comeback next time.”

"No, it's too late. That's still a few years away."

“What do you want to say?” Jayalita asked seriously.

"Grandma, have you been following the DMK's governance situation this year?"

“I’ve read all the newspapers about this.”

What do you think of DMK's work?

"Hmph, a complete mess!" Jayalalita sneered.

Despite the DMK's clamor to punish the corruption cases during Jayalalita's rule, they themselves are no saints.

The ruling team led by Karunanidi couldn't wait to start accumulating wealth as soon as they came to power.

Last year, a highway under construction in the country was exposed for serious overstatement of the amount of work done and shoddy workmanship, resulting in some sections of the road collapsing and cracking before it was even opened to traffic.

There are also instances of contract fraud and misappropriation of funds in the government's procurement of medical equipment and medicines, with the contracts ultimately going to suppliers closely associated with DMK.

Ironically, they initially accused Jayalalita of taking huge kickbacks when purchasing Sull television sets.

In reality, DMK also pocketed kickbacks when making its own purchases.

Indian officials are all the same; none of them are incorruptible.

But that wasn't the worst of it; they did something stupid that gave Ron the impression that he could take advantage of them.

(End of this chapter)