Kerala Congress, Zoho founder spar over Padma Shri awarded to IIT Madras director V Kamakoti
The Chronify
A social media post by Kerala Congress mocking the Padma Shri awarded to IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti triggered a sharp response from Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu. The exchange has reignited debate over scientific research, tradition, and political rhetoric.
The Kerala Congress sparked fresh controversy after its official social media handle posted remarks critical of V Kamakoti, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year.
In a post on X shared on Republic Day, the party wrote:
“Congratulations to V Kamakoti on receiving the honour. The nation recognises your bleeding edge research on Cow Urine at IIT Madras, taking Gomutra to world stage.”
The post drew immediate backlash, including from Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, who strongly defended Kamakoti’s credentials and research interests.
Vembu wrote that Kamakoti is a deep-technology expert in microprocessor design, Director of IIT Madras, and a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board. He said Kamakoti “richly deserves” the honour and criticised what he called a “colonial mindset” that dismisses research into cow dung and cow urine.
According to Vembu, these substances contain complex microbiomes that could have scientific value. He argued that similar research would be widely accepted if published by elite Western institutions such as Harvard or MIT.
However, the Kerala Congress doubled down on its criticism in a follow-up post, questioning the practical outcomes of such research.
The party asked why scientific focus should be limited to cow dung and urine alone, and why similar studies are not conducted on other animals or even humans.
It also cited a controversial case involving a Madhya Pradesh government-funded Panchagavya research project - a traditional mixture of cow-derived products - which was promoted for cancer treatment, suggesting such outcomes raise serious ethical and scientific concerns.
The episode adds to the Kerala Congress social media handle’s history of provocative posts, which have previously drawn criticism and political backlash, including during election campaigns in other states.
In a post on X shared on Republic Day, the party wrote:
“Congratulations to V Kamakoti on receiving the honour. The nation recognises your bleeding edge research on Cow Urine at IIT Madras, taking Gomutra to world stage.”
The post drew immediate backlash, including from Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, who strongly defended Kamakoti’s credentials and research interests.
Vembu wrote that Kamakoti is a deep-technology expert in microprocessor design, Director of IIT Madras, and a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board. He said Kamakoti “richly deserves” the honour and criticised what he called a “colonial mindset” that dismisses research into cow dung and cow urine.
According to Vembu, these substances contain complex microbiomes that could have scientific value. He argued that similar research would be widely accepted if published by elite Western institutions such as Harvard or MIT.
However, the Kerala Congress doubled down on its criticism in a follow-up post, questioning the practical outcomes of such research.
The party asked why scientific focus should be limited to cow dung and urine alone, and why similar studies are not conducted on other animals or even humans.
It also cited a controversial case involving a Madhya Pradesh government-funded Panchagavya research project - a traditional mixture of cow-derived products - which was promoted for cancer treatment, suggesting such outcomes raise serious ethical and scientific concerns.
The episode adds to the Kerala Congress social media handle’s history of provocative posts, which have previously drawn criticism and political backlash, including during election campaigns in other states.
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