GANDHI, SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS

摘要

Stereotyping Mahatma Gandhi as a saintly, spiritual person opposed to modern civilizational norms has inhibited a proper appreciation of his views on science and scientists. His other major contemporary, Tagore, criticised his views on Bihar's earthquake, likening it with the sin of untouchability, as unscientific. Aldous Huxley branded Gandhi's ideas of returning to nature as anti-science. Even Nehru observed 'It may not be a correct attitude; its logic may be faulty' Meghnad Saha and many scientists felt that some of his ideas are retrograde and, according to Saha, had as little regard for Gandhi's economic theories as the Russians had for Tolstoy. S. Gopal records how the young Radhakrishnan, after his first meeting with Gandhi, came back with the impression that he had a medieval attitude of mind. Unfortunately, this image of Gandhi has stuck in public psyche.