Return of the Native Editorial

Somebody said, "Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it." No other culture or civilisation has sought to forget its past as much as India has. It is only logical, therefore, that we should have paid the heaviest price for our civilisational amnesia. Centuries of colonial subjugation had inflicted such grievous injury on our national psyche, self-confidence and self-esteem that every single 'pearl of our traditional wisdom' had to pass through the green channel of western Baconian and Newtonian reductionist science to be validated. We had to wait for a Max Mueller to rediscover the genius of the Vedas. And we needed an Arnold Toynbee to certify the greatness of Indian culture.

"West is best" has ruled the roost for too long. The loss of self-confidence has been so deep (particularly in the upper classes of society) that any talk of the indigenous becomes synonymous with inferior, backward and crude. We needed a Deepak Chopra (trained in modern western medicine) or a Naresh Trehan (arguably the most famous Indian heart-surgeon) to rediscover the health and spiritual values of yoga and meditation. I have no doubt in my mind that there are hundreds and thousands of desi Toynbees, Max Muellers, Deepak Chopras and Trehans. But we don't recognise their wisdom perhaps because they might not have access to the English language or because they do not have a Hollywood star or business tycoon as their shishya to testify to the efficacy of their "magic wand". The so-called brain-drain is less linked to the search for better career prospects than to the desire of modern Indians to rid themselves of their "inferior" civilisation.

But this is not true of the whole of India. This is not true of even half of India. The majority of Indians still organise and conduct their lives, livelihoods and lifestyles on the basis of their native vision and indigenous wisdom. For many of our communities and traditional societies, indigenous wisdom is not something dead, frozen in the past. It is still a living tradition, a daily experience and a continuous practice. This is not to suggest that these traditional practices are evenly and universally prevalent across the social and geographical spectrum. What is more inspiring and assuring is the amazing diversity of the initiatives and endeavours to spread or revive these practices all over the country. This belated recognition of the efficacy of traditional sciences and indigenous wisdom is a significant step towards overcoming our colonial hang-over. This small step can take us to the commanding heights of a paradigm that is ecologically sound, socially egalitarian, economically equitable, politically democratic, culturally sublime and spiritually satisfying.

Be it in the field of agriculture or water management, traditional health systems or yoga and meditation, there is a great resurgence of interest in traditional practices and knowledge systems across the country. These initiatives may seem scattered or isolated, but they have a wider and deeper message to impart. We are passing through a very critical phase of our history. Traditional practices and the treasure-trove of wisdom hidden within them might hold the clues to many a problem confronting us.

However, a tradition cannot survive outside society, in laboratories or books. It will survive only if it is practised by the common man in the street and by society at large. It will survive only if it helps people resolve their existential and transcendental dilemmas, and enriches their lives, livelihoods and lifestyles. It must reinvigorate and revitalise the social, cultural, economic and ecological roots of society. It is difficult to find a better touchstone for a healthy tradition or knowledge system than the famous Gandhian dictum which could be rephrased to read: "whenever we face a dilemma about the relevance of a traditional practice, ask whether that tradition helps the last man, the poorest of the poor in society." If it does not, it should be thrown into the dustbin of history. In this special issue of Humanscape, we have compiled only a few of the innumerable indigenous practices and knowledge systems which have stood this Gandhian test.

-- Parshuram Ray

This issue on the return to traditional wisdom in several fields has been planned and co-ordinated by our Deputy Editor, Parshuram Ray. He has been travelling all over India to research this subject.

Published in Humanscape, January-2001