The Dreadful Future of Development

Print ISSN: 2581-7884 | Volume I | Issue 31 | April-June 2025 |

Editorial| Eastern Scientist

Dependence on technology is certainly convenient, but it carries its own dangers. A slight disruption can bring the entire system to a standstill. In this way, reliance on technology is steadily eroding natural human skills and capabilities. When technology fails, it feels as though we've been thrust back into the Stone Age. Our lives are increasingly under the control of the masters of technology. The era of imperialism through weapons is a thing of the past; today, the world has willingly submitted to a new kind of empire—technological imperialism.

In October 2024, I was traveling through Assam by road. Just after crossing the Patgaon Bazaar in Kokrajhar district, we had to stop for five minutes at a toll plaza due to a disruption in the automated toll payment system. A line of dozens of vehicles had formed. This incident was a stark reminder that although reliance on technological advancement is convenient, it is not without its perils. We had previously encountered a similar situation at a lodge in Siliguri. I attempted to pay the bill using Google Pay, but the bank’s network was slow and I hadn’t carried any cash. A crisis emerged—fortunately, my travel companion Nandlal had the foresight to carry ten thousand rupees in cash.

The real consequences of such dependence surface during times of unrest and protests when governments shut down the internet. In such cases, even with money in the bank, a person can’t buy a single biscuit. As I write this memoir, the people of Manipur are facing this very crisis.

Over-reliance on technology is steadily displacing our natural human abilities and efficiency. As soon as technology fails, it seems as if we have regressed to primitive times. Our lives are being dominated by technological overlords. The age of imperialism enforced through weapons has faded into history; now, the world has willingly fallen under the reign of technological imperialism. No matter how much pride we take in our religion and culture, even their expressions have become dependent on technology. The ancient source of

light—the oil lamp—has lost its significance in the presence of LED bulbs. Temples,

mosques, and churches are all now subservient to technology. The human mind, empowered by technology, now wishes to decorate, modify, and manage the divine according to its will, rather than molding itself in alignment with the divine.

Despite all the lofty spiritual talk, the greatness and popularity of so-called enlightened, renowned saints, sages, mahants, maulvis, preachers, spiritual gurus, and self-proclaimed public leaders all rest on technological platforms. As a result, even the slightest hiccup in nature—just one breath gone awry—can bring all our technological progress crashing down. If floods come, power supply fails. And if the electricity fails, then what remains of our ‘development’ and technology?

There’s something deeply unsettling about how we've cut down mountains, dammed rivers, and destroyed forests—rendering the Earth uninhabitable. Yet we are not content with that—we now seek to ruin other planets and satellites too, and then celebrate this suicide of the cosmos as a triumph.

Today, three months after that journey, the heart of India’s development—Delhi—is reeling from the swelling of the Yamuna River. All our pride in progress and convenience has been washed away.

Returning to our journey: after a brief wait, the toll system began functioning again, and vehicles started moving forward. Our vehicle also proceeded. Once again, we were greeted by scenes of forests, villages, fields, grazing pastures, and cottage-like homes—places where, even today, bullocks still plough some fields, paddy is being threshed, and heaps of hay are stacked in courtyards. These self-reliant villages, though not untouched by development, maintain a balance. Electricity is available, there are small tractors, new paddy varieties, spray machines, and mobile phones—but chemical fertilizer dependency is minimal. Thus, a natural alternative to technological development has been preserved. Human freedom to live remains intact—something we have lost in places like UP, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Mumbai, and Delhi.

There, farmers are forced to take loans from banks to buy fertilizers, seeds, medicines, tractors, and other equipment from corporate companies. Though the crops look promising, any misfortune—flood, drought, hailstorm, or strong winds—can destroy the yield to the point where not even basic sustenance is possible, let alone repayment of bank loans. Ultimately, we see tragic news of farmers consuming poisonous pesticides. One could argue that agriculture in these "developed" regions too has fallen under corporate domination, using technological development as a guise. The farmer becomes a tenant, laboring while the profits go to corporations.

Hence, we urgently need to redefine development. We must become vigilant of the looming threats to nature, the environment, the earth, air, and water. I am not suggesting that we stop using machines altogether. I am only advocating that we also preserve a parallel system alongside technology—one that protects human skills and the art of living in times of crisis.

We must make efforts to protect space from pollution. We must save the Earth and its air and water. Otherwise, under the guise of development, we are marching steadily toward a dread.