Well-being of every society in particular and the world at large in general owes in no small measure to visionaries in successive generations as well as the anonymous workforce lending the hand of implementing the plans of progress in its widest meaning. Digging into pages of human history, one can make a glossary of such luminaries not only in India but also other regions globally, not to forget their cohorts who made the erstwhile Princely State of Mysore a model State on counts of achievements in diverse fields of human endeavour and also remembered by later generations with a deep sense of gratitude. However, many acts directed by vision of the mentors as well the inventions by scientists in a given point of time earn remarks of discount in later years. In material terms, plastics, electronic goods and motorised vehicles which have hogged dwindling resources resulting in unmanageable solid waste of Himalayan proportions in every nook and corner of the country as well as the world stand out conspicuously.

The factor of change affecting status of all life forms, comfortable in a given period is itself a constant. Discounting visionary measures witnessed in the past is only by hindsight. Foreseeing the consequences of such measures ahead of their happening, such as wealth turning into waste, requires extraordinary vision. Such visionaries are rare to be had in our times.

Short-term benefits gained from most inventions such as motorised vehicles and cellphones seem to cloud the vision on their long-term consequences, particularly because of not exercising moderation in their use by the masses. Another glaring example of over-exploitation of products based on invention (over-riding vision) is the virtual conquest of space by high-rise structures everywhere which would not have happened but for the invention of cement and steel, resulting in excessive mining of river sand, the consequences of which doesn’t need elaboration. To understand what is wrong, and to come up with timely solutions, requires information (knowledge) about what is going on. Development and progress without concern on threat to life of people, such as deforestation and loss of fertile agricultural land are the undoing of present generation due to missing vigil on vision.

Technology is no longer a constraint for creation of infrastructure in the name of modernity. Taking away livelihood of those pursuing and totally dependent on their time-honoured callings in life as a result of inventions is a matter that should engage civil society intelligentsia to come up with out-of-the-box measures reflecting vigil on vision.