New Delhi: In a powerful address at the inaugural annual conference of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in New Delhi, Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar emphasized the critical need to preserve and promote India’s millennia-old intellectual and cultural heritage. He underscored that India’s rise as a global power must be accompanied by the rise of its intellectual and cultural gravitas, stating, “This is very significant as the rise without this is not lasting, and the rise without this is not in harmony with our traditions. The strength of a nation lies in the originality of its thought, the timelessness of its values, and the resilience of its intellectual traditions. That is the kind of soft power that endures, and soft power is potent in the world we live in.”
Understanding the Indian Knowledge System (IKS)
The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) represents a vast and ancient intellectual tradition spanning fields such as art, music, dance, drama, mathematics, astronomy, science, and technology. This knowledge is embedded in classical languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil, and Pali, and includes renowned contributions such as Ayurveda, yoga, Surya Siddhanta, Natya Shastra, and the revolutionary concept of zero in number systems. Ancient India was home to global centers of learning like Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Vallabhi, and Odantapuri, which attracted scholars from regions as far as Korea, China, Tibet, and Persia. These institutions were towering citadels of knowledge, with libraries housing tens of thousands of manuscripts, serving as vibrant hubs of intellectual exchange.
The Need for Safeguarding IKS
Vice President Dhankhar highlighted several compelling reasons for safeguarding India’s Traditional Knowledge System:
- Decolonization of Mind: The Vice President critiqued the colonial legacy that undervalued indigenous thought systems, imposing Western epistemologies as universal truths. He described this as an “architecture of erasure, destruction, and decimation,” noting that the selective remembrance of India’s intellectual heritage continued even after independence. “Western constructs were paraded as universal truths. To put it more bluntly, untruth was camouflaged as truth,” he remarked, urging a reclamation of India’s core values.
- Preventing Marginalization: The dominance of European cultural perspectives has hindered the integration of IKS into mainstream academia. For instance, attempts to patent the healing properties of turmeric (haldi) in the US exemplify the risk of misappropriation. The Vice President stressed the need to prevent such marginalization to ensure IKS retains its rightful place in global intellectual discourse.
- Encouraging Young Scholars: Limited engagement with IKS has discouraged young scholars from pursuing it as a field of study, often due to its misrepresentation or relegation to the periphery. Shri Dhankhar called for empowering young researchers with robust methodological tools, blending philosophy, computational analysis, ethnography, and comparative inquiry to deepen their engagement with IKS.
- Boosting Soft Power: The Vice President highlighted IKS as a tool for cultural diplomacy, citing examples like International Yoga Day, the revival of Nalanda University, and the architectural marvels of World Heritage Sites like Rani ki Vav, which boost tourism and academic influence.
Historical Ruptures in India’s Intellectual Journey
Reflecting on historical challenges, Shri Dhankhar noted two significant interludes that disrupted India’s intellectual tradition, the Bharatiya Vidya Parampara. The first was the Islamic invasion, which brought contempt and destruction rather than assimilation. The second was British colonization, which “stunted, stymied, and subverted” the Indian Knowledge System. He explained, “Centers of learning changed their motives. The compass was moderated. The North Star was changed. From bearing Sages and Savants, it started producing clerks and yeomen. The needs of the East India Company to have brown babus replaced the need of the nation to have thinkers.”
This shift led to a decline in critical thinking, with education systems prioritizing rote learning over contemplation and philosophy. “We stopped thinking, contemplating, writing, and philosophizing. We started cramming, regurgitating, and swallowing. Grades, unfortunately, replaced critical thinking,” he lamented, underscoring the systematic decimation of India’s intellectual institutions.
A Call for Tangible Action
To strengthen IKS, the Vice President advocated for concrete measures. He emphasized the urgent need for digitized repositories of classical Indian texts in languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, and Prakrit. These repositories should be globally accessible to enable scholars worldwide to engage with these sources. Additionally, he called for training programs to equip young scholars with interdisciplinary tools to advance IKS research.
Shri Dhankhar also stressed the importance of a holistic understanding of knowledge, noting, “Knowledge resides beyond manuscripts. It lives in communities, in embodied practices, in the intergenerational transmission of wisdom.” He advocated for a research ecosystem that honors both written texts and lived experiences, recognizing that insight emerges from context as much as from text.
The Global Relevance of IKS
Quoting renowned scholar Max Müller, the Vice President said, “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions of some of them which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant—I should point to India.” He described this as an “articulation of eternal truth,” emphasizing the timeless relevance of IKS.
Shri Dhankhar highlighted the dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, stating, “The wisdom of the past does not obstruct innovation—rather it inspires it. The metaphysical can speak to the material. Spiritual insight can coexist with scientific precision.” He cited examples like the Rigveda’s hymns finding relevance in astrophysics and the Charaka Samhita contributing to global debates on public health ethics. In a fractured world facing global challenges, he argued that IKS offers thoughtful, enduring solutions by reflecting on the interplay between mind and matter, individual and cosmos, duty and consequence.
Preserving Indian Languages: A Parallel Effort
In a related context, on July 31, 2021, Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressed a conference organized by Telugu Kootami, focusing on the protection of Indian languages. He called for collaborative and innovative efforts to preserve and rejuvenate India’s linguistic heritage, stressing that preserving languages is a people’s movement. “If one’s mother tongue is lost, one’s self-identity and self-esteem will eventually be lost,” he cautioned, highlighting the role of languages in preserving music, dance, drama, customs, festivals, and traditional knowledge.
Shri Naidu emphasized the importance of translation in enriching languages, advocating for improved quality and quantity of translations in Indian languages. He also suggested making ancient literature accessible to youth in plain, spoken languages and compiling endangered and archaic words from rural areas and dialects to preserve them for posterity.
He lauded the National Education Policy (NEP) for prioritizing the use of mother tongue in education, noting that a holistic education must integrate culture, language, and traditions. The decision of 14 engineering colleges across eight states to offer courses in Indian languages was also praised, alongside the Ministry of Education’s Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL).
Shri Naidu highlighted global best practices in countries like France, Germany, and Japan, where native languages are used in advanced disciplines like engineering, medicine, and law. He suggested improving scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages to facilitate wider reach and encouraged children to learn multiple languages while grounding them in their mother tongue.
Judicial and Administrative Reforms
The Vice President also commended Chief Justice of India Shri N.V. Ramana for resolving a 21-year-old marital dispute by allowing the woman to express her concerns in Telugu, her mother tongue, when she struggled with English. This case underscored the need for judicial systems to allow people to voice their problems in their native languages and deliver judgments in regional languages. Shri Naidu also reiterated the importance of imparting education in the mother tongue up to the primary school level and prioritizing it in administration.
Dignitaries and Organizers
The IKS conference was attended by notable figures, including Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Prof. M. S. Chaitra, Director of IKSHA and Akhil Bharatiye Toli Sadasya, Prajna Pravah. The Telugu Kootami conference featured participants like Shri K.V. Ramanachary, Shri Nandivelugu Mukteswara Rao, Shri Chennuru Anjaneya Reddy, Shri Talluri Jayasekhar, Shri Pulikonda Subbachary, Shri Nandini Sidhareddy, Shri Garapati Umamaheswara Rao, and Shri Parupalli Kodandaramayya.
Conclusion
The inaugural IKS conference and the focus on preserving Indian languages mark a pivotal moment in India’s journey to reclaim its intellectual and cultural heritage. Vice President Dhankhar’s call to action, coupled with Shri Naidu’s emphasis on linguistic preservation, underscores the urgency of safeguarding India’s Traditional Knowledge System. By digitizing classical texts, empowering young scholars, and integrating IKS into modern academia, India can harness its soft power to inspire innovation and shape a thoughtful, enduring response to global challenges. As the nation rises as a global power, its intellectual and cultural gravitas will ensure that this rise is lasting and harmonious with its timeless traditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Indian Knowledge System (IKS)?
The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is a millennia-old intellectual tradition encompassing fields like art, music, dance, drama, mathematics, astronomy, science, and technology. It includes contributions such as Ayurveda, yoga, Surya Siddhanta, Natya Shastra, and the concept of zero, preserved in classical languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil, and Pali. Ancient universities like Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Vallabhi, and Odantapuri were global centers of learning, attracting scholars from regions like Korea, China, Tibet, and Persia.
2. Why is preserving the Indian Knowledge System important?
Preserving IKS is crucial for decolonizing minds by undoing the colonial legacy that undervalued indigenous thought and imposed Western epistemologies. It prevents the marginalization of India’s knowledge systems in mainstream academia, encourages young scholars to engage with IKS, and boosts India’s soft power through cultural diplomacy (e.g., International Yoga Day), academic influence (e.g., Nalanda University’s revival), and tourism (e.g., World Heritage Sites like Rani ki Vav).
3. How did historical events impact India’s intellectual traditions?
The Islamic invasion marked the first disruption of Bharatiya Vidya Parampara, bringing destruction rather than assimilation. British colonization further stunted IKS by shifting the focus of education from producing thinkers to training clerks for the East India Company. This led to a decline in critical thinking, with rote learning replacing contemplation and philosophy, systematically draining India’s intellectual institutions.
4. What actions were proposed to strengthen the Indian Knowledge System?
Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar proposed creating digitized repositories of classical Indian texts in languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, and Prakrit, making them globally accessible. He also advocated for training programs to equip young scholars with interdisciplinary tools, blending philosophy, computational analysis, ethnography, and comparative inquiry, to foster a robust IKS research ecosystem that values both written texts and lived experiences.
5. Why is preserving Indian languages essential, and what initiatives support this?
Preserving Indian languages maintains cultural heritage, self-identity, and traditional knowledge in areas like music, dance, and customs. Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu emphasized people-driven initiatives like improving translations, making ancient literature accessible to youth, and compiling endangered words. The National Education Policy (NEP) promotes mother-tongue education, and initiatives like the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) and offering engineering courses in Indian languages support linguistic preservation.
