This blogger had the opportunity
to attend Indian Science Congress, for layman like me it was quite an
interesting experience. Visited stalls exhibiting the latest achievements of
premier institutes of the country like DRDO, CSIR, ISRO so on as also attended
few talks. The number of talks and the topics dealt were mindboggling. The
children’s innovation section was quite interesting. Unlike last year in Mumbai
this year care was taken to see that the squatter inspired pseudo-science is not
given space. These nonsenses should be dealt severely. But unfortunately it
cannot be avoided as it is part of the psyche of this mediocre society that has high
estimate about itself, while adeptly playing high moral liberal game cleverly reminding our jagath guru status. The playact
of couching arrogance in humility is spell binding performance. With rare
exception the calibre is quite low, they just replicate things and dedicate
themselves as part of ritual, mostly emerging from entitled worldview they also
see themselves as scientists, without even basic aptitude of inquisitiveness or
the context. When the ISRO head is busy with voodoo act at Tirupathi before an
important space mission, instead of being responsible to the situation, we know the extent of appalling degradation. It needs to be
pointed out that since independence, with transfer of power, the squatter hold
over Hinduism has been incrementally overwhelming. Till recently it was nod and
wink with western sophistication now it is open and on your face squatter. The former
therefore accuse the later of betrayal, of intolerance. The authority ordained and through hold over democratic process, money and the feudal nature of society had played to
consolidate this power structure, cementing hold over democratic institutions,
extending through market and entertainment. The egalitarian ways, quaint
culture, have been consistently side lined. The degradation of democracy and consolidation
of mediocrity has been the constant narration in the last many decades. Meanwhile
the narration of progress is mostly hinged on replicating modernity through
acquisitions and copying west facilitated by entitled ways, patronages,
hereditary transactions and nepotism. These largely remains the framework for
upper mobility, hence entrenched uncouthness and manipulations. The reason why
Indian attempts mostly lack the depth, authenticity or requisite competence.
The sheen is shallow and no amount of self-congratulation and patting oneself can
improve these. Fortunately this society’s pit is not the reference there are
some extremely smart and excellence driven frames that values rigour and is
stridently scrutinised. The squatter nonsense cannot pass the crap test. It
cannot even hide behind the garb of religion as it isn’t one nor can they
mullah feed their way to enlightened values. Indian elite stands exposed as
they cling on to their primitive identities simultaneously defending turfs of
modernity. It’s a predicament that deserves no sympathy and indeed should be
dealt with all righteous ferocity. No amount of intellectual posturing nor defecating
arguments or felicity with words is going to help. Mishras and Chaudharis needs to
pause and give a long look into the mirror, the blighted home truth that they
seek to intellectualise, before they venture into another well-meaning moral
hike.
The squatter’s uncouthness spread
through feudal leaders, elitist bureaucracy, confirmed by medieval judiciary. Meanwhile these crude ways
were mainstreamed by market instigated media hence becomes the mainstay of
entertainment (this blogger suggests FTII should be privatised). Deviant squatter culture and traditions were
consolidated and mainstreamed as Hinduism and even ways of life. Since these
were patently primitive the egalitarian nature and compassion driven values
that resisted squatter’s deviance were appropriated to give a narration of
moral consonance. The reason why even while they discuss science and rational
ways, they just cannot stop showing signs of entitlement, the superior selves as
carrier of grander tradition that no science can possibly even attempt to evaluate,
indeed understand. Some kind of enigmatic access to mystical ways that the
world will understand only in some later date. It is so pristine and pure,
hence by extension themselves -an indication of self as possessor of
superior knowledge that no science can reach or logic can pursue, it is ordained
as special gift. Primitive squatter sometimes try Zen master ways, the obvious contemplative
lack and practical deficiency makes it a hilarious effort. This blessed haughtiness is what defines this putrid
pit. It predates and concludes all the worldviews in its condescending sweep, that
includes science. Here a talk at Indian Science Congress on renewable energy,
specifically gobar gas, ends with
holy cow and a shloka, hence by
implication a claim of greatness of prescient tradition that the speaker represents.
Reality check here being gobar could
be even be from buffaloes or organic waste, as also there is no shloka on gobar gas or that it is methane. A scientist should strictly avoid
these references but then that is asking for bit too much. That in short are existential challenges faced by Indian scientist.
I was reading this brilliant book The Ascent of Man (by Jacob Bronowski),
there is an interesting take on Art and Science, the cave paintings as 'power of
anticipation', 'forward looking imagination', the ability to visualize future. I reckon this is beginning of great art of science fiction, that many a times preceded
the actual invention. The reason why I am referring this book is the critical cultural
foundation of giving primacy to ‘grasping the world by action’, hands being
more important than eyes. These are not fickle foundation that ‘believed that
the world has only to be seen and thought about –and who practiced no science’.
This blogger thinks this is quite strongly linked to egalitarian ways and practices that becomes basis for ethical ways in society. “We are more than a
symbolic accident in the evolution of man, that it is the hand that drives the
subsequent evolution of brain. We find tools today made by man before he became
man. Benjamin Franklin in 1771 called man ‘a tool making animal’, and that is
right”. Interestingly steel was first invented in Indian subcontinent 10,000years
back. It is a remarkable achievement, but as the squatter spread their tentacles
these were reduced to degradation, shockingly blacksmith is seen as 'lowest' hence humiliated and exploited. While Japanese were able to take steel to high caliber weapon in an amazing amalgamation
of art form and science: The samurai swords. The same was done by Chinese on
bronze metal. Meanwhile Indian degradation was compelling, there were sparks of
brilliance here and there, but these were despite squatters. The suffering and
torment of mathematicians like Ramanjum is a clear reference that if he was
born in some other society he would have contributed much more significantly
and systematically. And yes there have been many like him in societies across
the world the reason why Homo sapiens are able to land probe onto comet. So it
is nothing unique to this part of the world as is being spread by squatter enthused as some kind of divine happening that only some have access to. Also one need to
point out the brilliant loses over the centuries as primitive world spread. As Ramakrishna
Venkataraman (scientist, Nobel laureate in Medicine, on his work on ribosomes) said
in a talk, that I attended a month back, ‘observation has to go with speculation’.
Unfortunately lacking observation skills speculation became basis of understanding in this part of the
world. It gives an all-encompassing feeling of jagath guru to what is essentially a mediocre bunch of people enmeshed
in primitive ways. It is a desperate attempt to bridge the entitled, the ordained
selves, and the realities. In the last many centuries there were egalitarian
spaces that resisted degradation of squatters, providing ethical context for
common people. These have been significantly reduced in the last many decades
as power structure gets consolidated and squatter worldview acquires primacy. It
is a putrefying society that has achieved unique unity in diversity despite ‘different castes’. It is an
amazing achievement; it should keep the world amused.
Post script: this blogger has nothing against cows, indeed loves
them as much as I love dogs, cats or aquarium fishes, all animals, but squatters will not be allowed to weave their cunning little world of compassion.
Bull and Dog story: giving humanly attributes to animals would be anthropomorphizing
them, but I really don’t know how to define these two. I have been observing
them for about two years. They are mostly seen together. First I thought it was
a coincidence but realised that there is something more to it. The bull may
look intimidating but is gentle, sometimes even snooping into the house to get
some grub. The dog meanwhile waits, acts as an escort, keep an eye on the bull,
while the bull too sometimes looks out for the dog. The dog is different from
other dogs around he has a distinct wolfish face and rarely interacts with
other dogs. It’s an unlikely friendship that seems to be made out of choice as
they both live on the streets, quite rare to see these two species get along
like this. 
