A mechanical engineer from Coimbatore, S.kumarswamy, created an eco-friendly engine which runs on distilled water, uses hydrogen as fuel and releases oxygen as a by-product. He has been working on this model for 10 years and is going to launch it in Japan. Now, you may think, why Japan and not India?
Kumaraswamy told the media that he wanted to launch it in India. But, he did not get support from Indian authorities while working on the project. He knocked on the doors of many government departments but received no encouragement. Then, he contacted Japanese authorities with details of the project. They were excited with his project and gave him financial support and motivated him to complete it. Now, finally, Japan will gain fruit from the launch of this revolutionary engine which will greatly benefit our environment. It is shameful that an Indian had to take help of another country because of the ignorance of his own countrymen This is a loss for India.
I always wonder why countries like China and Japan are doing far better in technology and innovations than India in spite of our hugely talented demography. But, the answer to this question lies the attitude of Indians.
India claims to have invented number zero and our country is proud to have had personalities like CV Raman, and APJ Abdul Kalam in the field of science. We take great pride in institutions like IIT, IISc or IIM. But, today, India seems to be prioritising technology. It is evident from the fact that R&D spending has been stagnant at 0.6-0.7% of GDP for decades in India in contrast to China(2%), USA(2.74%), Israel(4%), etc.
Our leaders seem more interested in vote garnering rather than investing in technology and encouraging young minds of the country. Indian authorities are very indifferent to the potential of people like Kumaraswamy who turn to other nations for support. I believe that Indian society is more responsible for this than its leaders. Indians often ignore the innovative spirit in their fellow citizens as we hold a parochial mindset which is unable to see the excellence and peculiar talents of some members of society.
Whenever a talented wants to pursue something different and innovative, he/she gets the same answer from society-“ are startup wagerah se kya hoga,koi sarkaari naukri kar lo (what is the point of a startup, instead take up a government job)”. People are not ready to come out of their comfort zones and want to play safe. Society’s vision is restricted only towards a well-defined life cycle – get a job, marry and bear a child.
Many innovative voices are crushed in the name of fear and insecurity. In my opinion, we are only good at bearing the burden of our age-old traditions and orthodoxy. We are concerned only with building temples and mosques, upholding castes and religion. We believe in the status quo and suppress rebellions.
This case is also related to our insensitivity towards the environment. If India had some concern for the environment, Kumaraswamy’s project would have received support. Our attitudes toward nature are totally ignorant. Despite many awareness initiatives by the government, we don’t care while littering in public places. We are still trying to resolve the open defecation problem in India while other nations are progressing in new technologies to solve the 21st century’s challenges. Similarly, an Indian is more fanatic towards religious rules than pollution. The environment doesn’t get any importance in political speeches nor in our daily talks. Do we even know that the devil of climate change is going to eat developing countries like India first?
Until when can we afford to be ignorant about innovation and creativity? Until when will we continue to ignore the present challenges of society and stick to the status quo? When will we open our minds and see what’s happening in the world?
I think Indian society and the Indian government have to mould their mindset and not allow talents like Kumaraswamy feel alienated from his own country.