New Delhi: On the final day of the Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur, J. Nandakumar, national convener of Pragya Pravah, spoke during a book discussion session at Charbagh on the themes of his book National Selfhood in Science. He emphasised that the freedom struggle was not merely a political movement but a collective national effort in which every sector of society—science, art, literature, journalism, and culture—played a vital role.
Nandakumar noted that even without delving into ancient or Upanishadic times, India made significant scientific advances during British rule. Scientists such as Jagadish Chandra Bose and Meghnad Saha conducted world-class research despite colonial constraints. However, India’s contributions to astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine, and agriculture were systematically ignored—both by the British and by Indians influenced by a colonial mindset. Instead, attempts were made to portray Indian scientific knowledge as superstitious, fake, or unscientific, a narrative that Nandakumar said was far removed from reality.
He asserted that discoveries rooted in Indian intellect have consistently benefited humanity. Citing a recent example, he recalled India’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccines developed in the country were supplied free of cost to nearly 100 nations. The guiding philosophy behind this scientific effort, he said, was universal welfare. The aircraft carrying the vaccines bore the message Sarve Santu Niramaya—“May all be free from disease”—which, he said, captures the true essence of India’s selfhood.
Nandakumar further observed that even after independence, the task of building a system rooted in this national selfhood remains incomplete, despite 75 years having passed. He stressed the importance of educating future generations about the unique character of Indian science—one that blends selfhood with a spirit of global welfare, a combination he said is unmatched anywhere else in the world. In this *Amrit Kaal* (Golden Age) of independence, he concluded, there is an urgent need to awaken and reclaim this sense of self.