At\u00c2\u00a0an India – US Business Alliance, Santa Clara, US,\u00c2\u00a0I was invited to speak\u00c2\u00a0on “Future of Software in India”. That led me to think of history of software in India and I realised that India has always been good in software. Much before computers were invented. Software in a larger sense. Not just bits & bytes.\u00c2\u00a0Rather thoughts & insights. Creations of mind rather than creation of hand. India continues to excel in software as in literature, cinema, ads, designs, programming in any media and last but perhaps most important spiritualism.<\/p>\n
If one would to guestimate the combined valuations of “wealth creation” by Osho, Chinmayanand, Sri Ravishankar, Mahesh Yogi, Krishnamurthy,\u00c2\u00a0et al; I wager, it would be manifold of the cumulative “software exports” from india.<\/p>\n
Why India always exceled in mind work and performed poorly at hand work?<\/p>\n
I think the reason is two fold. First the climate. Though India has all the seasons, by & large, the characteristic weather is “hot”. Focus on the genesis of Indian civilization. It originated by the banks of the rivers in highly fertile plains. It was easy to be agrarian.\u00c2\u00a0Throw the seed, rest & enjoy the fruits in time. By & large the weather was pleasant, hot & hotter. A cold harsh weather would have induced physical activity to generate ‘heat’. \u00c2\u00a0To build shelters. To hunt for clothing. For our ancestors, the weather was conducive to relax under shade of a tree to muse & meditate.<\/p>\n
Second reason, perhaps an offspring of the first, was\u00c2\u00a0& is the caste system. The highest status was accorded to the “mind” work and lowest to the “hand” work\u00c2\u00a0 and this continues till date. We are incilned to outsource manual work to an abundance of cheap labour. By & large, we\u00c2\u00a0aspire to be “Brahmins”. The learned. No dignity can be found in labour.<\/p>\n
Contrast this with the way Japan, Korea & China harnessed labour to become manufacturers\u00c2\u00a0to the world.<\/p>\n
As the posts in\u00c2\u00a0NextIndia forum\u00c2\u00a0are perhaps not much read, I shall stop here. Please treat this post as a discussion. Hope to hear from you.<\/p>\n