Since there is a treasure of knowledge exists in those Puranas that are essential for our day-to-day activities, it is important that an opportunity is given to students to learn the same in depth. Attaching due importance to this, is clearly a welcome move, writes Dr V Premachandran, Member of the working group at Kerala State Planning Board, and a former Senior Research Fellow at National University of Singapore.
Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is slowly getting better academic recognition in India and the recent addition of it into the National Credit Framework gives a much-awaited boost. Students will now be able to earn credits from their expertise in various aspects of the country's own Knowledge System, including Vedas and Puranas, according to the final report on the National Credit Framework (NCrf) released by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday.
As the world is getting more and more complex, and the younger generation has difficulty in managing so many activities of equal importance at the same time, everyone is looking for proper guidance. Let me categorically state that the Indian system has that capability.
We have been blind folded all these years and searching for what is available right in front of us and could not even appreciate its value for whatever the reason. The enormous value of the Indian Puranas and Vedas are not surprising, after all they were developed with such difficult periods of human life. In order to understand the depth of those writings, one needs to go back in time they were generated, though the new generation may find it difficult to even visualise the period when there was no electricity.
Indian knowledge systems were developed thousands of years back where the situations were totally different from now. It was forests all around and we were fighting even for our basic needs like food, along with the other animals. In addition, we had to face all the problems that are existing today, like conflict for food, water, family protection, safe housing, birth, death, diseases, natural disasters, safety, to name a few. The same human relationships like love, hatred, anger, selfishness, etc. existed then.
People have to manage life in much more adverse situations and nowhere to look for solutions. The humans had to find their own way out then. So, it is not surprising that such deep analysis of human relationships was evolved during that time.
In order to find solutions to life and death problems, they had to find all the natural products. The necessary quality, durability, etc. were to exist at that time as well. What we see today must be the result of a series of innovations. Along with finding solutions to the day-to-day problems, other activities like language, music, arts, sculpture, science, mathematics, astronomy, etc. leading to higher level of human development followed. One can see the systematic approaches to all of these.
Isn’t it the same problems existing today and we are looking for the same type of solutions? Our Puranas have such a wealth of knowledge which we are searching for and the study of those scriptures will definitely an asset to our life, especially in our complex world.
Since such a treasure of knowledge exists in those Puranas that are essential for our day-to-day activities, it is important that an opportunity is given to students to learn that knowledge. Attaching importance to this, is clearly a welcome note.
We need to do much more and move into a higher level of finding that knowledge. It is much easier for the Indians to do that because we are immersed in this culture. As we are all know this knowledge is scattered in bits and pieces and is lying all over and in different shapes. Falsification has also crept in. It is necessary to have a scientific approach to put all the information together and in order. I recommend a central facility at the level of a university to be set up and take on this task.
Since this is a huge task, the government should take a leading role with extensive participation from the private organisations and individuals. It must be in a serene environment far from cities. An archeological department unearthing of those eras must also be included. This must be the Indian Knowledge System Centre. All the documents currently available must be archived there. All those who are knowledgeable and work on our ancient past must be free to come and contribute.
Students can have internships there. Youngsters can contribute enormously and will be able to include in the National Credit Framework. Authorities on the Puranas and Vedas must be a part of this centre.
This centre must also include all the classical art forms like music, dance, sculptures, architecture, etc., Vedic sciences, whatever comes under the Indian Knowledge System, each one with its own Departments.
Even though many other countries have introduced Indian Puranas and Epics in their academic curriculum, implementing the same in the country of origin in a wider level is relatively new. Therefore, as anything new typically attracts its share of negative reactions and criticisms, this will also face serious scepticism. Hence, the government and the concerned authorities must ensure that its execution is fair and unbiased and there is no political agenda ever linked to this well intended education plan.
— The author, Dr. V. Premachandran, is a member of the working group in the Kerala State Planning Board, and was a Senior Fellow at the Solar Energy Research Institute, National University of Singapore.
Read his previous articles here
(Edited by : C H Unnikrishnan)
First Published: Apr 13, 2023 7:12 AM IST
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