Age of Technology

Even though I am living in Gudalur, which can be defined as a small place, we do many amazing things technologically. When I compare myself 10 years ago, today's version of myself is a much advanced model. I mean only technologically! We design stuff in computers and instantly get in touch with people in Germany and UK; talk to people abroad at any time of the day; converse much more with people outside India than with the neighbours!

And, Mobile Phones! If the mobile phone does not ring for more than one hour, it means you are out of coverage area or the local network is down. In all our meetings with adivasi team members, we are forced to have the first agenda as 'switching off the mobile phones or keeping it in silent mode'. So powerful communication! When there was a rumour about polio drops causing infection in some other part of Tamilnadu, our adivasis panicked within two hours and rushed to hospital! When our friend Vijayendran passed away, the news reached people in most of the villages (and to those who had gone to Bangalore and Calicut) within an hour or so.

It all feels good. I guess, this is how people would have felt when the first wheel was developed thousands of years ago. Here is a nice cartoon that I came across recently.

Another thing I like a lot is the imagination of the creators of 'The History of the World' movie around this Ten Commandments. They say, God actually gave 15 commandments to Moses in the Mount Sinai. In three big stone tablets containing 5 commandments each. But, while walking down the mountain saying 'God gave me 15 commandments', Moses accidentally drops one stone tablet and it breaks into pieces. So, Moses just makes it up and says, "God gave me 10 commandments'. That is how we have only 10 commandments today!