The ancient civilisation Sindhu/Indus/Hindu/India — steeped in arts, culture, administration and most of all science and a great reserve of natural resources — became a lucrative target for marauders who converted or killed and either way, plundered, pillaged and ruled for a thousand years.
What has been compiled in Thoughts for Change: We Can Do It, by two of India’s accomplished “Missile Men”, is an important motivating reminder and a wake-up call to present-day Bharat.
In this book, spread over five parts, the authors have covered a wide array of subjects not only related to their field, but also those under the gamut of science and technology The first part, Dynamics of Change, begins with the scientific temper and specialisation of a number of Indian sages and scholars living in well-planned cities and some of the discoveries and inventions of these great minds, which revolutionised science. This chapter also goes into the great obstacles placed before India by way of western regimes.
Part 2, titled Mission Mode Programmes and Technological Push, covers science and technology which enabled the Green Revolution, Operation Flood (milk production), industry initiative, nuclear energy, space venture, missile projects, IT and the pharma industry.
Part 3, Futuristic Technologies, is the longest one spread over 170 pages, which begins with technology through ages, bio and nanotechnologies and their convergence, robotics, sensors technology, materials and processing, nuclear energy, space, missile technology, ballistic missile defence system (BMDS), cruise missile BrahMos, hypersonics, emerging battlefield tecnologies-C4I2SR and green technologies. It is worth mentioning that on June 17, 2013, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced that the BMDS produced by it is capable of countering missiles with ranges of up to 5,000 km.
Part 4, Technology Spin-offs to Society, begins with a blurb of quotes by Dr Abdul Kalam expressing his rising levels of elation following the successful orbit of India’s SLV-3 (satellite launched vehicle) in July 1980; testfiring of intermediate range ballistic missile Agni in May 1989; India’s “five nuclear experiments” in May 1989.
His last quote is indeed touching: “When I saw happy tears rolling out from the eyes of the parents of a polio-affected child, on seeing him walking after the fitting of lightweight caliper developed from missile technology, it gave me bliss.”
The spin-offs covered in this part are from nuclear, space and defence technologies. And some of these spin-offs have proved to be invaluable to medicine, particularly orthopedic and dental implants, prosthetic devices, acoustic detector for detecting noises from debris and many others.
Part 5, begins with the English translation of a verse titled “Youth” by Jalaluddin Rumi, the 13th century Persian Sufi poet, followed by observations on India’s growth and appropriate recommendations for what India should become by 2020 and beyond. However, all the desirable aims will be achievable only if corruption can be considerably reduced, as its total elimination does not seem possible, worldwide.
Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the brilliant visionary scientist has been quoted in the book as saying “The acquisition by man of knowledge of how to release and use atomic energy must be recognised as the third epoch of human history. He beat independent India’s first government by four years, when in 1944, he set up the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Trombay Atomic Energy Establishment (now named after him) which became the hub of nuclear weapon development.
In an interview with the Manchester Guardian in 1965, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said if India built the bomb, “We will eat grass, even go hungry, but we will get one of our own.” In May 1974, India announced the testing of a Peaceful Nuclear Explosive. What deserves being mentioned is the very effective secrecy of both of India’s nuclear tests of 1974 and 1998, which accentuated the shockwaves after they were announced.
While India’s atomic-space-rocket-missile accomplishments are indeed commendable in developing the technology, strategic deterrence can only be achieved after optimum levels of production and deployment. And while India must forge ahead with production of its missiles, it must not neglect regaining and maintaining its edge in conventional weapons, on which it is at an all time low.
Further, India must also shake out of its known mode of a soft state and strive to develop the political will to acquire the requisite level of force and send the message that it will effectively be used, if attacked.
Rich in detail and graphics, while the book is highly recommended for all, security-related decision-makers of India’s politico-bureaucratic establishment must read and refer to it as often as required.