'I will give it to you in writing...': Save the written word's sanctity

India’ traditional strengths could combine with the written forms to effect a paradigm shift in this digital age of post-truth’

- V. ANANTHA NAGESWARAN, APARAJITA TRIPATHI

In the middle of an intense argument, a man thunders, “Main likh ke deta hoon ki tum kuchh nahin kar paaoge" (I can give this in writing that you won’t be able to do anything). With that clinching argument made, the other party quietens, perceptibly taken aback at the implied confidence in his powerlessness. That is the power of the written word. Used countless times daily through actions and words, the submission of something in ‘writing’ stands for veracity, tangibility, authenticity and timelessness.

But does it anymore? To understand this, we need to go back in time. Since ancient times, Indian society relied on faithful verbal repetition, or shruti and smriti (heard knowledge and memory in the Hindu tradition), to pass on the exact message through generations without loss of information. But as the need increased for preservation of authenticity and wider dissemination, ‘writing’ became first a convenience and later a necessity. Given the natural agelessness of the written form that outlives human life, writing soon became the sine qua non of any societal activity, whereby it was directly linked with literacy, formality and access to economic opportunities. Even in olden times, trade necessitated binding arrangements that were soon reflected in written documents. The Western world made material progress faster because, according to Professor Joseph Heinrich, it could transcend the boundaries imposed by having to transact within one’s own tribes or communities. In the modern era, the written contract and its associated legal sanctity have hugely facilitated dealings between strangers, thus scaling up economic activity.