The launch of Mars Orbiter Mission with the help of the PSLV-C25 has
completed its first stage of success for the red planet rendezvous nine months
away. The second stage which is leaving the earth’s magnetic pull and enters
the sun’s magnetic pull and later into the sphere of influence of Mars is
pretty intricate and tricky. It has been reported in the press that very few
launches to the red planet has so far been successful.
Yet, our Indian scientists have succeeded in putting the launch vehicle
into orbit and this is what really counts. It is that bold step that really
counts and what may happen later on, although important to make the mission a
success, nevertheless has its own degree of uncertainties and even the other
experienced countries have failed multiple times before success came their way.
So, here the first step is of utmost importance.
Psychology of the Indian Educated Class
With the first step the ISRO has proved that Indian scientists can take
on greater responsibilities. Smallness
of the launch vehicle is not the matter here, but the success of the launch
itself. It is not that similar experiments have already been carried out by
others, but the maneuverability of the human intelligence while achieving the
target that matters. The mission would give a fillip to the subdued human
educated mentality in India where it is almost a fashion to dwell in the past. Look
around you and the media and you will get the answer as to how much we are
forced to live in the past and not be in the present for a change and to dwell
our thoughts into the future.
For instance, we talk only of our good old days during our social
interactions. We always blame the people who try to think something new and in
the process sometimes may take only what is good of the past while molding
theirs and our future. We carry on relentless campaign against any positive
outcomes of science and technology and try to stubbornly project the past as
the best where surprisingly the emphasis strangely is on the decadent state of
human mentality.
Fortunately, India had a glorious scientific past which has not been
emphasized by the political fraternities or scholars of history in particular.
We still dwell upon the ways of negative practices of ritualistic culture and
religion. One such instance is the digging of gold by the Archaeological
Department just because a seer happens to have seen the same in his dream. And
nothing came out of it till date.
We never talk about the waste of money our political class and
bureaucracy spends as well as the waste like digging of gold without any
scientific evidences. We however are surely vociferous in detailing to the last
rupee the amount spent on the Mars Orbiter Mission. Go through some of the
press report and at many instances you will see reports of how this money could
have been diverted for the poor.
Poverty always will exist in India due to the poverty of mind and the
only way out is by such periodical reminders through such mission that there is
a stage of life of greater marvel and curiosity arising out of being educated. Even
after so many decades of independence we have been able to remove only some percentage
of poverty and this speaks volumes about the real intentions of our political
class and our society.
We are not in Race
We are not in a race, but we are here through this mission creating a larger
space within ourselves. It is through the creation of this larger space within
us we can make our society economically and socially justifiable to live and
work in. We give inspirations through these missions and spread much greater
message than many of our political leaders would have done. We give life to the
academics that roll out of our institutes in millions with a symbolic
aspiration that a high standard life, not just measurable in terms of money
only, is also quite possible. A transformation of the society is possible by imbuing
of great hopes and setting reachable targets by instilling our young minds such
that the creative energies of our people will never ever go in vain in this
country. In this way we slowly become our own future.
