Congress Criticizes Kamakoti for Embracing Hindu Traditions in Science

Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of the most revered mathematicians in history, was known for his deep devotion to Hinduism, which often inspired his groundbreaking work. If he were alive today, one might wonder how he would be treated by the Congress party, especially considering their apparent disdain for those who openly embrace their Hindu faith. This situation was recently highlighted when Professor Veezhinathan Kamakoti, the director of IIT Madras, faced ridicule from Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. During a parliamentary session, she mockingly referred to him as a 'gaumutra' expert, a term that implies a trivialization of his expertise in traditional practices involving cow urine. This incident raises questions about the Congress party's treatment of individuals who respect and promote Indic knowledge and traditions. In January 2025, at a cow shelter event in Chennai, Professor Kamakoti spoke about the various medicinal and agricultural benefits of cow urine, claiming it has antibacterial and antifungal properties that could aid in treating conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). He shared a story about a sanyasi whose fever subsided after consuming cow urine, framing his discussion within the broader context of traditional wisdom and organic farming. However, instead of acknowledging the significance of his contributions, the Congress party chose to attack his character and dismiss his achievements. Professor Kamakoti's work extends far beyond his remarks on cow urine; he played a pivotal role in developing SHAKTI, India's first indigenous industrial-grade microprocessor. This homegrown chip was designed to reduce the nation's dependency on foreign processors, particularly in critical sectors like defense and communications. His contributions to the National Security Advisory Board and his leadership in the Artificial Intelligence Task Force established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry further underscore his importance to India's technological advancement. Despite these accomplishments, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's comments reflect a troubling trend within the Congress party, which seems intent on undermining the achievements of those who honor India's cultural heritage. By 2011, while the world was focused on consumer mobile applications, Professor Kamakoti and his team were addressing a significant national vulnerability: the reliance on foreign microprocessors for essential defense systems and infrastructure. Working tirelessly in limited facilities, they adopted the open-source RISC-V instruction set, meticulously hand-coding logic gates and verifying billions of instruction cycles. In July 2018, their efforts culminated in the successful booting of the Linux operating system on a 100% Indian-designed silicon chip for the first time, a historic milestone for the nation. Today, the SHAKTI architecture supports various applications, from defense communications to space-grade controllers developed in partnership with ISRO. However, the Congress party's reaction to his views on cow urine, which are supported by research from institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), illustrates their intolerance towards Indic knowledge systems and traditions. Throughout history, many eminent scientists, including Newton, Faraday, and Jagadish Chandra Bose, have embraced spirituality as part of their intellectual journey. It is disheartening to see a political party that claims to represent the people of India dismiss the contributions of its brightest minds based on their spiritual beliefs. The Congress party's long-standing history of Hinduphobia raises concerns about their commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for all citizens, regardless of their faith. Abhijit Majumder, the author of 'India's New Right,' expresses these views as personal opinions and not necessarily reflective of the broader media stance. The upcoming second part of this commentary will delve deeper into the Congress party's stance on Indic knowledge and Sanatan Dharma, shedding light on the ongoing cultural discourse in India.