GS Mudur | 13 October 2023 | The Telegraph

India’s scientific landscape is ablaze with ideas — efforts to unravel the secrets of a 108-petal lotus, combine “cow science” with “tantra healing” for cancer, explore connections between the ancient Swastika symbol and the Vedas and modern physics.

While Indian space scientists worked on the lunar landing mission and a space-based solar observatory, others were engaged with projects focused on “cow science”, driven by religious symbolism, or were seeking to harness — some say market — ancient Indian knowledge in the 21st century.

An IIT director’s attempt to link meat-eating with natural disasters has amplified concerns among sections of scientists about what they view as the changing ethos at research institutions headed by people aligned with the cultural ideology that the Narendra Modi government represents.

A video clip circulated on social media last month featured IIT Mandi director Laxmidhar Behera addressing students.

“You are butchering them, innocent animals. That has a symbiotic relationship with the degradation of the environment… the landslides, cloudbursts you’re seeing again and again. These are all effects of this cruelty,” he said.

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