Cyrano wrote:
If India does 2 things:
1. Improve significantly the quality of life (cleanliness, safety, urban transport, recreation, pollution, citizen level corruption, public spaces etc) to at least the level of middle income group countries to retain more bright students and qualified people
2. Increase its R&D spend very very significantly like the Chinese have done, in fundamental, applied, public, private everywhere. We need our new Nalandas and Takshashilas...
We will be unstoppable for the next century.
I humbly submit the following:
Item 0 : Define who is Indian and why they are unique compared to the rest. This requires a correct history of the past. The past cultural moorings are important in the definition. We need to set this right. Countries like China, France have a clear definition of who they are and their past is well documented from their perspective. India's own narrative needs to be straightened out, Forget the videshi perceptions business, we need to assert who we are and what is unique.
On Nalanda, Sharada, Takshashilla, etc. India's past was wiped out. It is said that the books burnt for months. India has 3 million sanskrit text books and much more in terms of leaf writings. The perception created by Brits is that India was illiterate, backward, superstitious, etc. Much of the knowledge of the world, as it stands today, most of the major concepts existed in India in one form or other. Maths, physics, astronomy, music, culture, nature of the universe, philosophy, religion, materials, etc. All of this was transmitted via arabs, persia, italy, jesuits in India vigorously copying and transmitting knowledge across europe. I feel that Indians need to re-learn sanskrit and study the 3 million books for its vast knowledge base. According to me, the vedas, have flawless knowledge and every sutra needs to be studied for its deep implications.
