india

Updated: Apr 17, 2018 22:34 IST

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has given a new spin to the evolution of modern communication technology, saying that the Internet is not something new but existed even during the Mahabharata period.

Deb was speaking at a Regional Workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala on Tuesday.

Elaborating, Deb said episodes of the 18-day epic war in Kurukshetra were relayed by narrator Sanjay to the blind king Dhritarashtra with the help of internet technology.

“Yeh desh wo desh hai, jisme Mahabharat mein Sanjay ne bethke Dhritarashtra ko yudh me kya ho raha tha bol raha tha. Iska matlab technology tha, internet tha, satellite tha... (This is the country where the episodes of the Mahabharat war were narrated to Dhritarashtra by Sanjay. This means technology was there, Internet was there, satellite was there...,” Deb said in his speech.

Deb then added that technology was invented more than thousand years ago and that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) was just using it.

“I congratulate the NIC for their jobs but you people didn’t discover technology. It was discovered much earlier. Even the European countries can claim that they have invented the technology but in reality, the technology was ours. Many of our Microsoft engineers are working in USA and other countries. My country is rich in culture,” he said.

Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for focussing on digitisation, Deb said the entire country became familiar with the world of technology only after he (Modi) assumed power.

“Our prime minister himself is active on social networking sites and he asks the MPs and even chief ministers about their status and comments on these sites. We are lucky enough to get a guardian-like prime minister,” Deb said.

In reference to digitisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS), the chief minister said it would ensure transparency in distribution of food items through the ration card system.

Till date, 97.72% ration cards in the state have been linked with Aadhaar cards, the chief minister claimed.

“Technology should not be limited to rich people only. It should be made accessible by the poor too. The poor will benefit with digitisation of PDS,” he added.

The newly-elected BJP government has declared that it plans to make Tripura a model state in the next three years.