[Prof Gupta writes about the need for an innovation park in Ahmedadad, where he and several organisations he has been working with are based. Of course, the argument need not be limited to Ahmedabad, it can also apply to other cities.]

I normally don't start a dialogue on a negative note ever. But permit me to say that I have failed to get powers-that-be excited about creating an innovation park in Ahmedabad. Should I give up this dream of fertilising the minds and hearts of our children with new ideas, innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge? I am now inviting you all to get involved with this dream of ours. No matter how hard the odds, we have to succeed. Creative children, young and old community members deserve this. Every visitor to Gujarat and India deserve it. Our city, state, nation and the world have to become more innovative, inclusive and incorporative of the creativity of common people and we have to create open source standards of excellence, empathy, education and engagement with social concerns.

What is the idea? We should have several places in old and new Ahmedabd where good ideas for technological, educational, institutional or cultural innovations find a nurturant sanctuary. These ideas could come from a manual worker, or a bank executive, or a homemaker or an old grandmother. There will be a team of young people which will volunteer everyday to listen, learn and leverage these ideas through formal or informal channels.

There will be a rich ecosystem for innovation having a) a multimedia, multi-language exhibition of innovation, stationery as well as mobile; of course we will need a plot of about 10-15,000 square metres; b) a network of laboratories/ fabrication workshops in private and public sectors to test, design, convert ideas that are novel and socially useful into useful products and services; c) challenges will be posted in public places or platforms inviting anybody on the street to come out with a solution and get recognition and reward by the citizen councils and SRISTI and Honey Bee Network; d) there will be toolkits which creative children can use and fabricate solutions to the problems with which, we, the elders have learned to live with indefinitely; e) open kitchen where culinary creativity for nutrition rich, traditional grain and vegetable based dishes van be cooked, taught, offered to strangers to intrigue them and spread the Sattvik traditions (these new dishes will every year  be celebrated at Sattvik Traditional  food festival at IIM Ahmedabad); f) people will borrow a set of exhibits or posters and artefacts to be displayed at their social functions, like marriages and get together so that guest  don’t just chat trivia but also absorb the creativity for sustainable food for thoughts (some friends have already organised such exhibition at their family functions); g) scholars and writers, film makers and other artists meet and see how they can incorporate this spirit in their creations, after all art and culture will carry the message farthest in future; h) some walls could be dedicated for show casing folkloric art and culture with name and address of the community which might find entrepreneurial opportunities in the process, etc.

Does such recognition matter? Will it motivate people to come forward to share their ideas or help in converting ideas into public goods?

Can we incentivise the expansion of public domain through such confluence of creativity, compassion, and concern for larger social good?

Let me not answer this question. Will you like to answer these questions? Will you like to be a part of this mission with no assurance of returns except blessings of our elders and love of our children and perhaps gratitude of future generations?

Let fireflies of creativity sparkle, let inertia give way, may the spirit of acknowledged and anonymous giving grow, let the lamp of humility and harmony glow.