Though there is a need to take pride in the history of the country, backing unsubstantiated claims about the past would make the country “a laughing stock” among the scientific community, said H.S. Mukunda, professor, Aeronautics Department, Indian Institute of Science, here on Sunday.
He was speaking at the concluding day of the two-day South Zone-level Educational Conference on the theme ‘Frame a scientific textbook policy! Save education!’
The session on ‘Ancient Indian flying – myths and reality’ focussed on the controversial discussions in the recently concluded Indian Science Congress, where speakers claimed aviation technology had been described in texts nearly 7,000 years ago.
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“Naturally, the desire to fly would have come to ancient people who witnessed the birds flying and the same was expressed in the mythological texts. But trying to equate this with ancient scientific achievements would make a laughing stock out of us,” said Prof. Mukunda. Moreover, assertions made in the Rig Veda needed to be analysed as its descriptions pertain to Central Asia rather than the geographical area around Harappan civilisation, said Rajesh Kochhar, astrophysicist and president of the International Astronomical Union.
In the session on ‘Mythology and literature’, litterateur P.V. Narayana said mythology involves penning down dreams and hopes in a form that is exaggerated and poetic imagination.