National Science Day: these life-concerning issues must be addressed

By Dr. Mahender Thakur

Today is National Science Day, which is observed across the country on February 28. Today, many events around the country will be held in honor of Bharat Ratna and Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman. Narendra Modi, the country’s Prime Minister, acknowledged National Science Day in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program just yesterday. Moment by moment, science advances. In the name of comfort facilities, there are a plethora of options available on the market.

People’s lives have changed dramatically as a result of scientific innovation. But it is also true that science has caused a great deal of turmoil in human life. It is essential to discuss a few key points today. Isn’t it true that every year on World Environment Day, regardless of whether people talk about it or not, many programs are held in large Air Conditioned halls with a call to save the environment around the world? To save the environment, do individuals not tweet, create posts, or shoot videos from rooms with air conditioning?  It’s a small thing, but it’s critical. Isn’t it true that there should be harmony between science and nature? Isn’t it true that there is a conflict between nature and science today?

After all, what went so wrong that a scientist like Stephen Hawking had to say things like Humans Have 100 Years to Move to Another Planet or It’s Time to Get the Hell Off Planet Earth or Stephen Hawking says humans must colonize another planet in 100 years or face extinction . Elon Musk was also overheard expressing something similar to Stephen Hawking.

In his book Sanatan Dharma Vaidik Gateway to the Next Century (Bloomsbury India), renowned author Manoj Singh raises some pertinent concerns to Stephen Hawking. Manoj Singh writes.” This statement of Stephen T Hawking shouldn’t be taken lightly, nor should it be ignored assuming it to be merely a joke. This indirectly implies that by the end of the century, the earth will not be worth living. The message is clear but indirect. Here, the question is whether it is still worth living?… But did Hawking know the reason behind this? Maybe he did, but he didn’t explain further. Otherwise, he would have mentioned that the real rationale behind this statement is his own science. Can anyone ask how? The answer is that science helped man destroy the earth by making him a consumer. Scientists may deny responsibility by disagreeing with the answer. But are they denying their responsibility as humans? Are they not a part of society? Can they avoid such questions? No, they can’t. Could Hawking not have phrased it to say that science and market have rendered the earth uninhabitable? However, the scientist, while talking of shifting our civilization to other planets, hasn’t clarified whether he is referring to just humans or all of nature. If he means nature, that certainly can’t be shifted. So, of course, he means just humans. What kind of selfish and narrow mentality is this? This is the key difference between the modern civilization of science and the eternal (Sanatan) Vaidik cultural civilization. Sanatan Jeevan Darshan cares about all life forms and talks about Brahm to Brahmand (creator to creation). By the way, Mr. Scientist, do you not know that the existence of humans is not possible all by itself?”

Shouldn’t Manoj Singh’s questions be considered by Indians who see their roots in Sanatan Dharma on this day?

The second point has to do with the field of medicine. Isn’t it true that diseases were less prevalent in the country 40-50 years ago? Isn’t it true that persons between the ages of 90 and 110 years old are still healthy and alive today? Isn’t it true that most of these older people’s teeth, ears, and eyes still function properly? Isn’t it true that a 3-year-old toddler nowadays wears number glasses? Isn’t it true that today everyone is afflicted with a disease? Isn’t it true that almost everyone takes some sort of medication? Isn’t it a horrible truth that the number of hospitals, doctors, and drugs is expanding every year in the name of greater medical facilities? Shouldn’t the question now be whether there should be a drop in the number of diseases and patients as a result of the increased number of hospitals, doctors, and medicines?

Is this to imply that India’s ancient scientific health traditions and medical systems were superior to those of today? That’s why people were healthier and lived much longer back then than they are now. In fact, our health is mostly influenced by our lifestyle, diet, and environment. And it is an indisputable fact that today’s science has a significant impact on these three. Because practically every object we use on a daily basis is manufactured using scientific processes. Healthy products accessible for free from nature have now become a business in today’s modern science-based lifestyle. Isn’t it true that science has turned man into a consumer? Is it possible to deny that the AI era has had a negative impact on people’s ability to think?

Do Indians realize that turmeric milk, which has been used in India as a remedy since ancient times, is now known as turmeric latte in other countries? Are Indians aware that Anulom Vilom Pranayama, which has been practiced since Vedic times, is being peddled as cardiac coherence breathing by foreigners? Do Indians realize that many foreign research articles on the mental effects of studying Sanskrit have been published? Isn’t it true that demand for Indian spices has surged in other countries during the pandemic Corona period?

Finally, should the Indian government and scientific community not give special attention to India’s ancient science-based research on the occasion of National Science Day? So that the theme of National Science Day in 2022, “Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future,” can be accomplished. As a result, modern science does not discuss the possibility of leaving Earth and migrating to another planet. 

(The author is a Himachal Based Educator, columnist and social activist. Twitter @Mahender_Chem. Email: [email protected]. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)