BBC NEWS, MAY 14, 2002
Indian scientists are turning
to an ancient Hindu text in their search for the secrets of effective
stealth warfare.
They believe the book, the
Arthashastra, written more than 2,300 years ago, will give Indian
troops the edge on their enemies.
India's Defence Minister George
Fernandes has approved funding for the project, and told parliament
recently that experiments had begun.
The research is being carried
out by experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation
and scientists from the University of Pune and National Institute
of Virology in western India.
The book includes the recipe
for a single meal that will keep a soldier fighting for a month,
methods of inducing madness in the enemy as well as advice on chemical
and biological warfare.
Powders and remedies
The book was written by military
strategist Kautilya, also known as Chanakya and Vishnugupta, a prime
minister in the court of India's first emperor Chandragupta Maurya,
in the fourth century BC.
"All of us are excited about
the possibilities and do not for a moment think that the idea is
crazy," said Professor SV Bhavasar, a space scientist who has spent
many years researching the Arthashastra.
"Decoding ancient texts is
not an easy task but we are very hopeful of success," he added.
According to a Pune University
report, the book says that soldiers fed with a single meal of special
herbs, milk and clarified butter can stay without food for an entire
month.
Shoes made of camel skin smeared
with a serum made from the flesh of owls and vultures can help soldiers
walk hundreds of miles during a war without feeling tired.
A powder made from fireflies
and the eyes of wild boar can endow soldiers with night vision.
Chemical warfare
Kautilya wrote in the Arthashastra
that a ruler could use any means to attain his goal, and Book XIV
touches on aspects of chemical and biological warfare.
The book says that smoke from
burning a powder made from the skin and excreta of certain reptiles,
animals and birds can cause madness and blindness in the enemy.
The book also provides the
formula to create a lethal smoke by burning certain species of snakes,
insects and plant seeds in makeshift laboratories.
"Our focus at present is on
how humans can control hunger for longer durations and walk for
longer period without experiencing fatigue,
Project leader Dr VS Ghole,
head of the environmental engineering department of Pune university,
said the team was now focusing on the methods of controlling hunger
and increasing stamina.
"Once we have made some headway
we will go into researching Kautilya's notes on night vision and
other fields," he said.
Professor SV Bhavasar said
the team also had plans to research other ancient Hindu texts.
These include manuscripts which
"claim to provide secrets of manufacturing planes which can not
be destroyed by any external force, could be motionless in the sky
and even invisible to enemy planes.
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