AIM HIGH!
This
is the catchy slogan of an advertisement for US Air Force.
Obviously
our people who want to promote Hinduism (it is a different matter that the
religion needs no help in this regard) adopted the military slogan. Given that
we are leaning State-side in all matters, this is just as well.
Now,
that is as good a reason as any for the outpouring of sentiments of what Hindus
had done earlier. These promoters reached out to stars, literally, claiming
interplanetary travel. They also claimed organ transplants, gene/stem-cell
therapy, quantum uncertainty, 3D-Printing, Laser, particle accelerators,
designer drugs, Maglev trains, super computers, super conductivity, super
fluidity … (allow me some hyperbole, please).
I
am not here to rain on this parade. But, do allow me to ask a few questions, at
a much lower, infra-dig level.
Let
us start with computers. Did we have them? The answer would definitely be
“YES!” Don’t raise your eye brows. Not yet.
Did
you know there was a time when computers were classified as female? Yes, it is
true. Before the time of electronic
computers, “computer” was a job description rather than a machine. It referred
to those who did computing, and were predominantly women, because, as you
guessed it, they could be paid less!
Take
the above back many centuries and apply the same logic. Obviously Indian women
went to the market, bought a slew of things from one or many vendors and paid
them in gold coins or whatever was the currency then prevailing. They obviously
were “computing” and hence, were computers. Sure enough, then, we had
computers.
Now
apply the same logic to various other so-called “modern conveniences”, like vacuum
cleaners, grinding machines, cloth ironing machines, coffee makers, dough
kneaders, and of course, sewing machines. Yes, we had all of these and they
were pretty much exclusively women.
My
title asked a question. And, I have reached the end after answering in the
affirmative.
I
did not take inspiration from the US Air Force in answering the question.
Indeed, I went in the opposite direction, reached down low and got the answer.
Quite ingenious of me, wouldn’t you say?
Raghuram
Ekambaram
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