Indigenous Technology for a Developed India

Mrinal Chatterjee

Window Seat

Indigenous Technology for a Developed India

That is the theme for this year’s National Science Day to be celebrated on 28 February to commemorate the discovery of “Raman Effect” by Indian physicist C.V. Raman (Sir Chandrasekhar Venkata Raman, 1888-1970). The Raman Effect is the process of scattering of light particles by molecules of a medium. A difference in the wavelength of light as it reaches the medium causes scattering.  He was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in physics for this, which had multiple applications in different fields from identification of food fraud and food adulteration to quantification of biomolecules, hyper spectral molecular imaging of cells and tissue, medical diagnosis, and others.

This year’s theme foregrounds the importance of indigenous technology for development of a country with a long history of engagement with science. What is indigenous knowledge in technology?

Indigenous knowledge (IK) and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) referto knowledge and knowledge systems that are unique to a given culture. It can be different from modern scientific knowledge systems. It is centred on local or indigenous peoples and their beliefs and practices. It is generally tacit in nature, passed from generation to generation through practice, stories, legends, etc. It is hardly academically codified like modern science does.

Indigenous science plays a crucial role in the development of science and technology. It provides rich contexts for understanding the relationship between sociocultural life and environmental ethics, Linking indigenous knowledge and technology use can effectively engage communities in their contextual development process and contribute to building strong partnerships between communities and development institutions at local, national and international levels.

If India harvests its rich indigenous knowledge and technology and syncs with modern technology- it’ll augur well for the country.

Guilt

I often see working parents, especially young parents, succumb to all the demands, whims and fancies of their kids. Instead of reprimanding the kids in a situation that warrants that, the parents give in. As a result the kids gradually become arrogant.

I confronted some such parents, talked to them at length, and I found they suffer from a sense of guilt for not being able to give enough time to the kids. Guilt is a demon. A betal sitting on every working parent’s back.

“Just because we had to go out to earn our livelihood and cannot devote time to our kids, we suffer from that guilt. As compensation we bow down to every whim and fancy of our kids. We pamper them. We fail to chastise them when it should have been done. As a result our kids become arrogant and demanding. They know our weak points and blackmail us- emotionally or otherwise.”

My advice to the young parents: don’t do that. You are spoiling your kids and making them arrogant brats who will grow as bad human beings.

Law

At Sambalpur railway station I saw a bunch of young transgender - teens and early twenties. I overheard one of them saying, “What do we do if the TT asks for tickets?”

One of them with garishly coloured lips clapped the way transgender usually do and said, “They will not dare to ask for tickets from us.”

His/ her confidence set me thinking: what gives people this kind of confidence in breaking the law? .

Tailpiece: Logical Boy

Boy (aged four): Dad, I’ve decided to get married.

Dad: Wonderful; Do you have a girl in mind?

Boy: Yes; Grandma! She said she loves me. I love her, too… and she is the best cook and story teller in the whole world.

Dad: That’s nice, but we have a small problem.

Boy: What problem?

Dad: She happens to be my mother. How can you marry my mother?

Boy: Why not? You married mine!

(Courtesy: Social Media)

Tailpiece: Just Thinking When butterflies are in love, do they feel humans in their stomachs?
(Courtesy: Social Media)