TAPPING NATIVE KNOWLEDGE- ARE WE MISSING THE BUS?

The global engagement in “knowledge processing” has been a serious business in the last two decades. The increasing sensitivity among nations to safeguard their ‘treasures of knowledge’ – both past and the present, either for culture or commerce is obvious. Focused attempts are made worldwide in this direction and one finds that even the knowledge inputs of the last few centuries are packaged in capsules to achieve their goals. One wonders, how much effort has been made or is being made in India in this direction.

The vast repository of knowledge and skills accrued in India in their multifarious forms as art, architecture, music, dance, martial arts, native games and the like over the last few thousand years has always been seen with a sense of awe and wonder globally. The understanding of human health and methods of native treatments using herbal and other strategies like Yoga have have attracted global attention for further research.  The contributions to native literature in innumerable languages have been mind-boggling though there is no professional approach to celebrate these skills. The skills of engineering and interventions in different dimensions of technology keep many guessing how one could have done it without adequate instruments and appliances. All these dimensions of wisdom spread and scattered through the length and breadth of the country needs to be organized and protected for posterity – not just as pieces of available information but as inputs of rich cultural heritage. Though we have not exploited the possibility of commercial presentation of these to the global community, we need to organize these as inputs for promoting global tourism and to enhance the brand of the country in the global scenario.

“Knowledge warehousing” in digital mode is one possible option which could be safe, transportable and provide easy access. Though spordaic attempts have been made in different states to harness such heritage and information, there appears to be inadequate efforts in this direction. There is a need for an “Umbrella Approach” – for one-point access. The trans-disciplinary approach to many of these have not been evident and they are still brewed in “controlled” vats!

Unfortunately, even the present generation of learners is neither given an opportunity nor inputs to understand, appreciate or acquire skills (unless there is a conscious family need or support to some select traits) in most of them with exclusive focus on specified uni-directional learning systems. No wonder, most of those completing their courses in the universities land up in odd jobs losing their passion or patience, just to meet the ends meet. We seem to be missing the bus. May be, it will have a disastrous impact in our global deals in the next few decades !

Recently I was hearing a talk on media when the speaker raised a pertinent question “Are we preparing the learner for the university or for the Universe?” A very sensible question indeed!. It is time that focused and serious efforts are made in recapturing the lost treasures of local wisdom, knowledge and skills. Any argument that it is a non-productive expenditure is not tenable. It is important to understand that such knowledge systems which are unbiased, secular and culturally impactful and those speak of the tireless efforts of yester generation in cognitive capitalization are digitally captured and organized. Our whole “library models” of preserving the knowledge in books ( I am not underplaying the importance of books – I still  consider them “King’s treasuries and Queen’s Gardens) need to undergo a transition and transformation. Let us not make knowledge systems petrify in cupboards with minimal access and exclusivity!

May be a few CSR initiatives jointly in this direction with the support of the Government could pave the way!