Sridhar Vembu, co-founder of Zoho, has reignited the debate on India’s traditional knowledge systems, saying that rejecting them outright reflects arrogance, not scientific rigor.
In a social media post, Vembu said: “The left-liberal crowd in our country loves to throw away the traditional knowledge systems of Bharat, with slogans like ‘trust science’ replacing critical thinking.
He called for humility within the scientific community and urged a re-examination of traditional practices from a modern perspective.
The remarks come after Vembu defended IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti who claimed that cow urine (gomutra) had medicinal benefits, including antibacterial and digestive properties.
Kamakoti’s statements, made at an event on January 15, drew sharp criticism, with many calling them pseudoscience.
One of the harshest critiques came from liver specialist and clinician-scientist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, better known as “the liver doctor.” On social media, Philips wrote: “Hey science illiterate baby boomer uncle, your so-called traditional Indian medicine Siddha also encourages fecal transplants. How long are you going to continue to put your foot down in your fine words, misinforming your subscribers and making a fool of yourself?”
Philips went further, urging Vembu to focus on disseminating reliable scientific information instead of promoting what he calls “old nonsense.” He noted that his own pioneering work in fecal transplants for severe alcohol-associated hepatitis demonstrates how traditional practices can be validated by modern research, in contrast to the promotion of unverified claims.
Vembu defended Kamakoti’s remarks by highlighting global interest in practices such as fecal transplants, which stem from traditional knowledge.
He argued that dismissing ideas such as the medicinal value of cow urine without investigation is contrary to the true spirit of science. “Science does not mix well with arrogance. What we need is humility within the scientific establishment,” Vembu said.
