Friday, September 14, 2007

India low on Vitamin S

India is now running extremely low on Vitamin S – where S stands for Science. The lack of this vitamin has led to a disease called ‘our sentiments are hurt’. The first sign of this disease is that human emotions and sentiments become more important in the matters of running the state whereas logic and reason are booted out of the door.

Science in India on the decline. The number of PhDs has gone down drastically. The existing scientists are leaving their jobs to join private firms, or talking gibberish, or playing politics. The academicians and professors are teaching Vedas and Puranas as Science. And the young kids are memorizing the formulae without knowing what they mean.

Indians are getting educated on a massive scale but they are learning it rote, memorizing stuff, reprinting the texts verbatim in their exams and therefore they are completely losing out on learning the essence. They are gaining knowledge, but are getting foolish at the same time.

In the latest controversy engulfing the political parties of India, certain people defending the story that Adam’s Bridge was built by monkeys of Rama have moved Supreme Court of India citing quotations from Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitamanas to back up their stand. It is like quoting Harry Potter to prove existence of Hogwart Castle.

These petitioners have claimed that Ram Sethu/Adam’s Bridge is 1.75 Millions years old.

What happens to a billion people when they do not get their dose of Vitamin S on an adequate level? You get a cocktail country where mythology is mixed with history, blind belief mixed logic, irrationality mixed with rationality. In short, you get a billion idiots.

Humans have been human for much less than 1 millions years. So, how come Rama existed before humans became humans? And how did he achieve this grand feat of building a bridge using monkeys?

Was Rama an ape then or was he a human then? Is it blasphemy to ask this question?

5 comments:

  1. Nice posts. I wish there were many more Indians like you who thought scientifically. All this confusion is due to a lack of science. If you notice, most Indians are not at all observative. We did not record our history. Why? We were more pre-disposed to superstition, superstition and only superstition. I am sure in olden times, kings lived like kings and the commoners had to live at the mercy of the kings. We are a people who resist growth, be it growth in our intellect or growth of our people. If every person in India thought like your or me, I am sure we would have been a better nation. I am sorry, I am just frustrated with our lot. And I am an NRI.

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  2. "If every person in India thought like your or me, I am sure we would have been a better nation. I am sorry, I am just frustrated with our lot. And I am an NRI."


    Mr Anonymous, why don't you go back to India and be the change you wish to see. I have deep respect for Sujai because he has the courage to DO what he THINKS.

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  3. Yes. I am leaving for India soon, by the way, I forgot to menion.

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  4. The reason I mentioned I am an NRI in the above post was that in one of the articles, Sujai had mentioned about NRIs being very religious and supporting the Ram bhaktas. I wanted to say that I am not one of them and also that there are many NRIs who think intelligently.
    I think that the Indian culture is such that there is no real value for Science in it. The way the kids are brought up, the way the schools function or for that matter be it any institution, science does not play a part. If we need to inculcate scientific thought which I think is a western import, it needs to be rigorously practiced by the governmental organizations first. But we do not have enough rational people in the government. Then, how do we go about it? Like some one said in one of the comments post, we are not evolved yet to think innovatively or scientifically. We are still a primitive species in India. Maybe we should start setting up schools where scientific thought is imparted. Another place that can spread scientific thought is the media. If there are numerous articles on say a simple thing like cold, where people are urged to "keep washing their hands and not spit or blow away their phlegm on the ground etc., it would greatly reduce the incidence of cold especially among children and older adults because cold is spread by viruses and not due to climate change or water or cold weather", and if every newspaper publishes such articles routinely, it will probably get ingrained in the people's mind. Ofcourse visual media is probably even more effective in imparting scientific knowledge. No we do not need space science - simple things like energy wastage in households, discipling kids without being emotional or using verbal or physical abuse etc. Sorry, I wrote such a long comment - I got carried away.

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  5. If we need to inculcate scientific thought which I think is a western import, it needs to be rigorously practiced by the governmental organizations first.
    Looks like the west needs to do some homework before exporting its science to others.
    http://www.pollingreport.com/science.htm
    Also check out other polls regarding Americans' knowledge and understanding of science.

    We are still a primitive species in India.
    I wasn't aware that species were defined by countries. Is there scientific proof that human beings in India are a different species from humans living in the west or elsewhere?

    India has managed to send rockets and satellites in space, construct missiles, nuclear power plants etc. which even many western countries haven't done (though they probably don't have a need for it). So, how does that make Indians a backward species? Sure, there is ignorance and illiteracy that needs to be fought, but you'll find it globally. Even in the US, there's a good number of Intelligent Designers.
    -Chirkut

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