MyVoice: Views of our readers 28th August 2023

Historic announcement of National Space Day

Nothing could be a prouder moment for Indian space history than the watershed moment of Mission Chandrayaan 3 soft landing, that too on the extreme part of the Moon’s South Pole. Now every Indian will mark August 23, the historic day, with the joyful celebration of “National Space Day.” The Indian space history has come a long way - from the selfless contribution of Homi Jahangir Bhabha to the contributions of space veterans like Vikram Sarabhai, K Kasturirangan, K Sivan and S Somnathan and other like-minded legends. Also, we must not forget the stellar role of Indian women scientists in the successful completion of this Chandrayaan 3 mission as well as other such earlier space missions.

Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur

The successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole has made the nation proud. The feat is achieved by ISRO with a meagre budget of Rs 600 crore. If ISRO was privatised can the nation dream of such grand achievement? So the lesson learnt is that not all activities of the government can be privatised, nor is it reasonable to undermine a public corporation, based on a random parameter. The Constitution makers thus wisely adopted mixed economy, to retain activities of public necessities with public sector, and allowed others to free enterprise.

P R Ravinder, Hyderabad

The successful land of Chandrayaan-3, on the dark, unexplored side of south polar region of the moon has been completed, with appropriate names being given to these place where Vikram landed as ‘Shiv-Shakti Point’ and the earlier flight of the lunar mission (Chandrayaan-2) that crash landed on the Moon in 2019, but, still sending vital signals, would be known as ‘Tiranga Point.’ It marks the continuing endeavour of space mission by the ISRO. Above all, the declaration to call the historic day of landing of Vikram, i.e., August 23, as the “National Space Day” is very apt.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad

As the Chandrayaan 3 mission completed successfully thumb chesting started in full swing. The old names of Dr Homi Bhabha, Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Dr Satish Dhavan, Dr Brahma Prakash and Dr Abdul Kalaam all cropped up in one voice. Over a period of time there has been a phenomenal change in rocket science. Today the younger generation is enjoying the fruits of the plant, planted, watered and sustained by our greats. The name ‘Vikram’ is a fitting tribute to Dr Vikram Sarabhai who headed both ISRO and Department of Atomic Energy after the sad and sudden demise of Dr Homi Bhabha under mysterious circumstances.

M R Jayanthi, Mumbai

A disgrace to the noble profession

Shame on the schoolteacher, Tripta Tyagi, who asked students to slap their classmate and referred pejoratively to the hapless victim’s faith. The fact that the teacher who ought to have been a role model is a destitute of ordinary human feelings, evidenced by her order to hit the child’s waist as his face turned red due to the slaps, disqualifies her to be a teacher. The intention was not just to inflict physical pain on the 7-year-old child, but also to strip him of his dignity and humiliate him. Her words, “all these Muslim children” while the ‘slapping session’ was on showed her Islamophobia. The Supreme Court repeatedly speaks against ‘hate speech’ and ‘hate crime’. Still it does not dissuade Hindu Right from creating and sustaining an ‘atmosphere of hatred’ in the society for political ends.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

Leaders must know history very well

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned from his whirlwind tours of South Africa and Greece. He said India, “the mother of democracy,” welcomes G-20 representatives. Haven’t we all learned at school that Greece is where democracy originated? Earlier in Egypt, he wilfully or otherwise did not spell that India under Jawaharlal Nehru’s regime, initiated Non Aligned Movement along with Egypt and Yugoslavia Presidents and others. The Greek historian Diiodorus Siculus describing India at the time of Alexander the Greate’s invasion in 326 BCE recorded that independent and democratic republics existed in India. Persons at helm of affairs must be in touch with past history before addressing a responsible gathering.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad