Embracing Zero
The discovery of zero is often cited as one of the most important achievements in the history of mankind akin to the invention of formalized language. The first instance of the use of zero is dated back to 5000 years ago, in ancient Mesopotamia, where they introduced a numeral system in which zero was used as a placeholder. However, the first recognition of zero as a number is recorded about 1500 years ago in India. When you think about it, zero means nothingness so how can the absence of something be a thing? Well, India’s rich philosophical culture had an answer to this. The concept of “Shunyata” (cleansing one’s mind from thoughts through meditation) was indoctrinated into Indians by Buddhists. This cleansing allowed “Shunyata” to be recognized as a state of its own.
Last week the Indian Prime Minister said in a speech that “India needs to embrace its rich scientific traditions to move forward” and referred to zero as the epitome of those traditions. This is what I call the “politicization of zero”. Zero has often been used by political leaders and composers of WhatsApp forwards as proof of India’s great scientific history and contribution to world knowledge. However, it is important to emphasize that regardless of how important this contribution was, it happened 1500 years ago. We cannot recycle the same discovery again and again at the risk of complacency. Independent India has not received a single Nobel prize in science. India’s overall contribution to science in the last 1000 years is paltry at best. Embracing our supposed scientific traditions would only result in more paltriness. Indians need to be proud of our history and acknowledge our place in the world. But to say that moving towards the past would result in development is foolish. India’s tradition also led to a caste-based monopoly on education which resulted in systemic discrimination. This allowed foreign invaders to come in and plunder our country by exploiting our differences. A similar discrimination-based strategy is used by current political parties to govern wherein “nationalists” are pitted against “liberals”. “Nationalist” and “liberal” are both terms with negative connotations but “nationalists” and “liberals” wear their identities with pride, making it easier to brew contempt for each other.
This fight for the identity of India is as old as India itself. The founding fathers of India not only had to fight imperialism but they also had to fight each other to answer the question “what is India?”. On one hand, was a faction that believed our religious ideals define us. On the other hand, was a new breed of political leaders who believed that our “culture” gave us identity. The answer was a synthesis of both of these schools of thought giving birth to a secular nation that was proud of its past but was also ready to embrace modernity. The shackles of religious dogmas were broken and a scientific temperament was requested of its citizens. But now and then, India has to redefine its identity not just on an international level but on a national level as well. Unsurprisingly, religion drives this inquiry. Modern science is rejected due to its internationalistic origins. A more “nationalistic” science is asked to be adopted informed by 3000-year-old texts. This gerrymandering of science based on geographical boundaries is exorbitantly problematic. Not only it imprisons thought but it also jolts us back into archaicness. Like a car made in the 1940s cannot compete with a modern car, the same is true for science.
No other country has felt the brunt of science more than India has. Before the 18th century, India was home to the biggest textile industry spearheaded by small businesses. But the transition from hand-produced methods to machines during the industrial revolution in the Great Briain destroyed our thriving economy. We were jettisoned from being the biggest exporter of textiles to become the biggest importer. Instead of developing our machines or buying machines, we stuck to our methods of production leading to destitution. Unfortunately, the lesson we learned from this incident was antagonizing science and change. This attitude still seems to be persisting in our country, propagated to a large extent by poorly educated political leaders.
Indian cultural heritage places tremendous importance on tolerance and co-operation. Only through these two virtues, has our country survived several existential threats. Science also requires tolerance and co-operation. In that context, it is not unconvincing to call science an Indian trait. India discovered zero and spread its discovery to the world. Mathematicians from other parts of the world quickly identified the importance of zero regardless of its origins and developed various branches of mathematics including calculus. More than zero, the idea of “Shunyata” needs to be disseminated in India. We need to become a blank slate and be open to receiving ideas from the world and reject orthodoxy. Only through acceptance, we can grow.
