The machine age
Monday November 29 2004 09:11 IST
By Karmayogi
Discussing the character of people in various parts of the earth from many
angles, a famous European author came to the topic of Asians handling
machines entrusted to them. For over a hundred years, the Machine Age is
ruling the destiny of man.
The machine has come to stay. Man no longer can escape it. Even the
saintly Mahatma who set his face against the machine had to use a few of
them sparingly. He could not travel all over India on foot as his disciple
Vinobha did.
He had to hire a special train. The machine was born in Europe and has
spread all over the world. The Chinese used powder in their crackers long
before the Europeans, but rifles and cannons were made in Europe.
A century of scientific thinking followed by another century of
technological innovation saturated Europe with a culture of machine where
the worker feels a sentimental reverence for the machine he uses.
We use the machines the Europeans have discovered. Naturally, we are not
so oriented towards their operation and maintenance. The author who dwells
on this theme at length makes several valid remarks about Asians handling
the machines entrusted to them.
He says the Asians do not fully understand the atmosphere the workshop
demands, nor do they know about the upkeep of the machines.
With the result, looking at their performance after some years, the author
says a European employer would rather hand over the machine to an
ill-qualified Westerner than to a well-qualified Asian.
Every observation of this author is literally true. It is true we have not
invented them, designed them or manufactured them. But we are using them
for over a hundred years. Even in future, we Indians are not going to deny
ourselves the use of machines, as they are a live part of our existence.
What do we do in this context? What is our heritage and potential? The
relation of the Westerner to the machine is one of the parent who gave
birth to it. His association is long and absolute.
The Westerner often talks to his machine. He refers to it as she. Still,
the relationship is one on the surface of his being. We relate to the
field we plough as bhooma devi, the grain as Lakshmi, our tools as gods.
We have a festival for them, Ayudha pooja. We are capable of knowing the
tools as gods and worshipping them. It is a deeper relationship than the
Westerners interest. At least, at our best we can rise to his level when
we draw upon our spiritual attitude.
Thus, we will overcome the lack we now suffer.