Promoting Scientific Temper

Promoting Scientific Temper and Observing ‘National Scientific Temper Day on 20^th August

Respected Colleague, 

We are writing to you on behalf of the All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) and Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti(MANS). AIPSN is a network of people’s science organizations working in various states of India for the promotion of scientific temper, scientific humanism, and the public understanding of science. MANS is an organized movement dedicated to fighting superstitions and promoting scientific temper in India, particularly in the state of Maharashtra, founded in 1989 by Shaheed Dr. Narendra Dabholkar.

We have initiated the observance of ‘National Scientific Temper Day on the 20^th August every year, which commemorates the day Dr Narendra Dabholkar was martyred in 2013. We appeal to you to join in this endeavour.

We have also initiated the following concomitant statement, which has been endorsed by  Dr. Jayant Naralikar, Dr. Naresh Dadhich, Dr. Spenta Wadia, Dr. VidyanandNanjundiah, Dr. K. Subramaniyam and many other scientists and educationists:

“As citizens of India as well as part of the world community of the 21st Century, it is one of our fundamental and civilizational duties “to develop and promote the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;” as per article 51 A(h) of our Constitution.

We believe that this task has not received the attention and commitment it deserves and calls for, and on the contrary, there is a very worrying and disturbing atmosphere being whipped in the opposite direction. There is therefore an urgent need to take it up with much vigour and enthusiasm in a systematic and sustained manner at all levels. The role of schools, colleges and the educational institutions is particularly important and critical in taking it forward. Promoting scientific temper is not only the work of scientists, but of all citizens in Indian democracy.

Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was one of the foremost proponents of scientific temper in recent times. Through his lectures and writings, he spread the message of scientific temper among all sections of society. It is therefore particularly appropriate that 20th August, the day on which he was martyred should be observed as ‘National Scientific Temper Day’ all over the country.

We the undersigned, endorse and support this move, and appeal to all informed and concerned people as well as all educational institutions, organizations to join in this collective national endeavour for observing ‘National Scientific Temper Day’, towards building an India of reason and humanity with well informed and rationally empowered citizens.”

We hope to observe National Scientific Temper Day on a broad and massive scale. This cannot happen without the widespread collective effort of many like-minded organizations, school managements, teachers and individuals.  We send this appeal to you to join this broad collective effort in view of the committed work that you/your organization is doing for the promotion of constitutional values.

We also request you to join this national movement for observing National Scientific Temper Day 0n Aug.20^th and by sending a brief endorsement email with your details to gsaipsn@gmail.com and spread it to your colleagues.

With best wishes,

Dr. Sabyasachi Chatterjee                                                                                                                             Avinash Patil

President,                                                                                                                                                           Executive President

AIPSN.                                                                                                                                                                  MA

National Scientific Temper Day

National Scientific Temper Day

20 August 2018

All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) Statement

Scientific  temper , is under unprecedented attack in India today. 

20^th August is being observed as National Scientific Temper Day in honour of Dr.Narendra Dabholkar, champion of scientific temper, who was killed in an act of premeditated murder by right-wing  communal terrorist forces, on this day five years ago in 2013. The killing shocked the nation, but more rude shocks came when several similar murders were inflicted by the same forces over the next several years. Govind Pansare, who worked to support inter-caste marriages, lectured on the real legacy of Shivaji, and condemned the glorification of the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was killed in 2015. M.M.Kalburgi, a scholar who studied socio-religious reform movements of the 12^th century in Karnataka and the related history of religious movements, was murdered in 2016. And Gauri Lankesh, fearless journalist and fierce critic of communal bigotry, was gunned down in 2017. Some of these murders were probably committed by the same extremist group. But the common thread definitely was the threat the extremist forces felt from these campaigners for reason and the scientific temper and against bigotry and intolerance.

These murders are extremist expressions of the intolerance openly displayed by some mainstream communal forces, including persons holding high political office, targeting sometimes with violence all those who question their bigotry, communal hate campaigns, and continuous dissemination of fake news, “alternative facts” and falsified histories, including in science.

An imaginary golden past of “Vedic science” is being propagated by these forces. Real and great achievements in science and technology, and rich traditions of rational thought,  emanating from the Indian sub-continent are being sidelined, while obviously fake achievements are being proclaimed by the top-level Central and State Ministers, Chief Ministers and political functionaries, substituting myth for history, such as that in ancient India, the Ganesh deity was the product of plastic surgery, that aviation and space technology, television and internet were from the time of the Mahabharata, that India had in vitro fertilization etc, and all this several thousands of years before any recorded history. Many other fantastic claims have been made by some state and central leaders, such as that the Vedas contained theories “better than” Einstein’s e=mc²!

In sharp contrast, real and important path-breaking contributions to science and technology in India emanating from many different strands of culture of the sub-continent, not just the Vedic-Brahmanic, such as the Jaina, Buddhist, Islamic, peasant, adivasi and from other working people are being ignored. Contributions of the artisan communities in India, who were actively involved in the development of crafts, technologies and productive forces, are also ignored, revealing persistent social blind-spots and prejudices.  Many other civilizations too have made important even seminal contributions. Understanding and highlighting the many real contributions from India to the universal body of S&T knowledge is tribute enough to India’s civilizational past, without having to invent any.

Scientists, eminent scholars and others from India and abroad, including Nobel Laureates, who express their disagreement with such views, have been attacked as anti-national, western-oriented, and “sons of Macaulay”. Pseudo-histories and anti-scientific views are being incorporated into school curricula and college/ university teaching. So-called “research” to “prove” pseudo-scientific claims in both the sciences and social sciences are being officially funded by government. Universities have become arenas of constant assault, often literally, on intellectual autonomy and critical thinking.

The aggressive anti-science and anti-rational atmosphere whipped up by obscurantist forces with official support has generated a climate of intimidation and even violence in an attempt to suppress a scientific outlook and critical thinking in our educational and intellectual institutions. Funding for scientific research is being cut, while social science research is being throttled.

Developmental programmes are being formulated without significant S&T and other research inputs. Mega projects like the Jaitapur Nuclear Power, the Bullet Train, Smart Cities etc., are being undertaken with no scientific inputs in the public domain. Development policies in industry and agriculture, in key infrastructure areas like energy, coal, oil and gas, power, transport and for basic needs like food, water and health are being driven by corporate interests with little concern for the poor or for the common citizen and without any public scientific debate. Environmental concerns are being systematically sidelined. This systematic devaluation of S&T and research, and the suffocation of critical thinking in educational institutions and in society at large, will severely hamper the future of the country, especially of its youth in this knowledge era.

We assert that promoting scientific temper, defending plurality, harmony and composite culture is a fundamental duty of all citizens, and especially of professional scientists and social scientists, as enjoined in the Directive Principles of our Constitution. The right and duty to question is basic, not only for science, but also for democracy.

It is essential that this onslaught on scientific temper, critical thinking and plurality, be vigorously resisted. Science has an important role to play today in defending democracy and the Indian Constitution. AIPSN appeals to all organizations, institutions and individuals committed to promoting scientific temper to come together for observing the National Scientific Temper Day, and working together in the days to come to defeat the ideology of communal hate politics and build an India of reason and humanity with well informed and empowered citizens.

                              

Towards observing National Scientific Temper Day on 20^th August

1.      Subka Desh Hamara Desh (SDHD) phase-2 would be continued with a grand programme of National Scientific Temper Day (NSTD)campaign and simultaneous programme on 20^th August with massive rallies at National, State and District HQs.

a.      Preparatory Works:

                                                              i.      National Plan for observing NSTD

1.      Resources preparation by the Centre and will be available on All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) website and from other sources from July onwards

                                                            ii.      State Level Plan For observing NSTD :

1.      A state level core committee may be formed to use the resources available from the all India centre and collect other resources and make it suitable to the state campaign plan.

2.      A state level Workshop to be conducted with the resources provided  by the centre

b.      Activities proposed.. Aug ^6th to 20^th Hiroshima day to National Scientific Temper Day….. A fortnight period of Scientific Temper  Campaign

                                                              i.      Up to 20^th Aug.

1.      School level programme with Science Experiments for method of science

2.      Miracle exposure and performing small skits and songs at the Villages / Grassroots

3.      Formation of Broad based committees/ use Global March for Science Platform

4.      Grassroots dialogues, District and State level Conventions on Attack on Science and Reason and Scientific institutions

5.      Online signature campaign

6.      Press Meet on 17^th of August

                                                            ii.      On 20^th Aug

1.      District, State and National  Capital Rallies with meetings

2.      Badge wearing by members of  the Platform

3.      Mass singing at schools: “Ask why’ song

4.      Distribution of leaflets with the appeal of leading scientists

5.      Signature campaign for Scientific Temper

6.      Any other innovative campaign

Access the details of programmes of campaign in AIPSN websites:  www.aipsn.net and www.aipsn.in, send mail to gsaipsn@gmail.com, or visit aipsn face book page 

Resources available soon at the AIPSN website www.aipsn.net or through member organizations

1.      Appeal of leading scientists to observe NSTD to prints as pamphlet to distribute to public available at  www.navnirmitilearning.org

2.      Appeal by AIPSN and MANS to various organizations to observe NSTD jointly or independently. This appeal will be available in www.aipsn.net  .

3.      AIPSN Statement on Scientific Temper will be available at www.aipsn.in website through which the scientists including Social Scientists, Educationalists, Cultural, Social and Educational activists.etc. can sign and take effort to get signatures.

4.      A PPT on what is scientific Temper, Why scientific Temper, scientific temper relevant to the contemporary world and the need of the hour

5.      Two important lectures of Dr.Dhabolkar,

6.      Constitutional part of 51 a (h)

7.      Palambur Declaration-1981 and its revisit

8.      Selected Lecture notes from famous book Angel, Devil and Science by Dr.P.M. Bhargava and Chandana Chakrobarthy

9.      Discussion on AIPSN Statement of Scientific temper-2018

10.  SD HD booklets/PPT specific to campaign: Science and Reason, S&T Challenges- two parts of Heritage of S&T and Development for whom

11.  18 science experiments for school to understand method of science

12.  Theme song for Mass singing by children: “Ask why”, in various languages

13.  Anti superstition bills of Maharashtra and Karnataka