‘Left liberals dump on tradition…’: Sridhar Vembu hits back on gomutra row after ‘boomer’ jibe

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu reignited the debate over India’s traditional knowledge systems, arguing that their outright rejection reflects arrogance rather than scientific rigor.

In a post on social media, Vembu said: “In our country, the left-liberal crowd likes to trash the traditional knowledge systems of Bharat, with slogans like ‘trust science’ replacing critical thinking.”

He appealed to the scientific community for humility and called for a reexamination of traditional practices through a modern lens.

The remarks came after Vembu defended IIT Madras director Prof. V. Kamakoti who claimed that cow urine (gomutra) has medicinal benefits including antibacterial and digestive properties.

Kamakoti’s announcements at the January 15 event drew sharp criticism, with many calling them pseudoscience.

One of the harshest criticisms came from liver specialist and clinician-scientist Dr. Abby Phillips, known as “The Liver Doctor.” Phillips wrote on social media: “Hey scientifically illiterate boomer uncle, your so-called traditional Indian medicine, Siddha, also promotes faecal transplants. How long will you continue to put your foot in your mouth, misinform your followers, and make a fool of yourself?”

Philips went further, urging Vembu to focus on disseminating reliable scientific information instead of promoting what he called “ancient nonsense.” He noted that his work on fecal transplants for severe alcohol-related hepatitis shows that how traditional practices can be validated through modern research, as opposed to advancing unverified claims about it.

Vembu defended Kamakoti’s remarks, highlighting the global interest in practices such as faecal transplants that stem from traditional knowledge.

He argued that rejecting such ideas of the medicinal value of cow urine without research is against the true spirit of science. “Science does not mix well with arrogance. We need humility in the scientific establishment,” Vembu said.