Indian Knowledge Systems

Shashi Tharoor wrote a massive book back in 2018 to explore the paradoxes that constitute the man called Narendra Modi. Paradoxes dominate present Indian politics. One of them is what’s called the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). What constitute the paradox here are two parallel realities: one genuinely valuable, and the other deeply regressive.

The contributions of Aryabhata and Brahmagupta to mathematics, Panini to linguistics, Vedanta to philosophy, and Ayurveda to medicine are genuine traditions that may deserve due attention. But there’s a hijacked version of IKS which is a hilariously, if not villainously, political project. Much of what is now packaged as IKS in government documents, school curricula, and propaganda includes mythological claims treated as historical facts, pseudoscience (e.g., Ravana’s Pushpaka Vimana as a real aircraft or Ganesha’s trunk as a product of plastic surgery), astrology replacing astronomy, ritualism replacing reasoning, attempts to invent the roots of all modern science in the Vedas, and the claim of India having invented everything first.

This latter version of IKS holds the Indian citizens under siege, argues G N Devy in his book titled Citizen Under Siege: Essays (2014-2015). Ancient India didn’t ever encourage ‘universal’ learning, Devy argues. Knowledge was the prerogative of the elite, the upper caste only. The lower caste people would be punished brutally if they even happened to hear Sanskrit shlokas being recited by someone. It is immensely ironical that this same Sanskrit is now being forced down the throats of Indians by the central government.

“If the project (of IKS) succeeds,” Devy says in his book, “we may soon find ourselves becoming an anti-knowledge nation.” Sentimental pride will replace scientific curiosity, belief without evidence will supersede scientific inquiry, and dogma will rule over dialogue.

Shashi Tharoor, who seems to be increasingly becoming a Modi bhakt, wrote seven years ago in his book cited above that “the obscurantist and atavistic state that Narendra Modi’s BJP wants to create would look nothing like the one that made India the scientific superpower of the ancient age.” Aryabhata and Brahmagupta will be turning in their graves hearing about Modi’s IKS project.

Why is Modi doing this anyway? The answer is simple. Political power thrives on cultural nostalgia, Modi knows that and is using that effectively for setting the seal on his hold on a country that V S Naipaul described long ago as “a million mutinies.” Modi is using his religion, the majority religion of his country, as a political tool for identity consolidation. He also knows that critical thinking is detrimental to authoritarianism. IKS actually shuts down people’s brains, and that’s what Modi wants.

Perhaps Tharoor can write a new book, or at least an article, on the new India which relies on supercomputers and yet promotes horoscope-based medicine. An India which has umpteen space missions, yet also popularises cow-urine cures. An India that seeks innovation, yet also imposes ideological censorship. Tharoor can title his new book Modi’s Schizophrenic India.

Let me end this with an exhortation from NCERT’s grade XI textbook on IKS. “The erosion of human values becomes the primary cause for corruption, terrorist activities, violence, unrest and various complications in the society.” The quote is from the last chapter of the book which is on Yoga, and Yoga is its prescription for all the evils that plague the modern world. Maybe, all our Parliamentary sessions should begin with an hour of yoga.

From NCERT's Textbook for Grade XI

PS. This post was inspired by the excerpt from Citizen Under Siege in Scroll (link in the post). I have only read the article, not the book.