Credit Due only to ISRO for its success !

Ever since Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon, there is joy among the people across the country. Indians living abroad are also feeling proud. India has been congratulated by most countries and Space Research Institutes across the world. What India has achieved is very admirable; hence, especially in India, there will definitely be attempts to take the credit for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) success. This is the exclusive success of ISRO.

ISRO’s scientists put in a lot of effort to bring about this achievement and it paid off. ISRO scientists achieved success by trying again and correcting the mistakes they had made during the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. This is very important.

People of India are praising ISRO. The Congress and other political parties are trying to criticise the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi (of the ruling BJP Government) in the country is taking credit for this success. After the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing, the Congress tried to say that India has successfully landed on the Moon because Nehru laid the foundation of ISRO – effectively implying that Congress is behind this success, and that PM Modi should not take credit for ISRO’s success.

In this context, the statement of former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan is important. This reveals the true nature of the Congress. Nambi Narayanan said, ‘In the early days of ISRO, space research was not the priority of the Government and the money / funds received by ISRO was also very meagre. At that time, there was only one jeep, one bus and one car for the Director. This was our infrastructure. That was a very small start. The money was not coming in the manner you wanted. It took years”.

There is some evidence that has become public to prove what Nambi Narayanan has said to be true. It shows ISRO scientists carrying rocket parts on bicycles and bullock carts. Initially, the ISRO scientists operated an Equatorial Launch Station in a Church at Thumba village in Kerala.

It was here that Vikram Sarabhai (Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India) built the first rocket. If the then Congress Government really wanted to do something for ISRO or for space research, ISRO would not have been in such a situation. Some people argued that since India is a poor country, where will the money come from for this kind of research. The then Government must have definitely thought about this.

Even though India is neither a rich nor a developed country, India has taken Space exploration seriously when compared with the rest of the world. Specially, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam changed the way India looked at space or research in general. Seeing the speed with which the world is turning to science, India needs to focus on getting ahead.

Funds were made available from time to time for such research; but it has been comparatively less than other countries. India had tested the Atomic bomb in 1974 during the Congress period. Even after that, India never made an Atomic bomb.

After 1974, India conducted its second Atomic test only in 1998. In the intervening years, why did the Governments that were formed not try to make progress on this issue ? This also needs to be deliberated.

ISRO scientists are also aware that India is a poor country and they have carried out the Chandrayaan-3 mission at a very low cost compared with other countries such as USA, Russia and China. It should be noted that while every political party and leader is squandering Government money, Indian scientists are thinking how to save money and spread India’s name and fame throughout the world.

Rulers who tortured Scientists

Before taking credit for the success of ISRO’s mission, we need to know how the Indian scientists were harassed during the Congress rule. With the help of other ISRO scientists, Nambi Narayanan was trying to develop the Cryogenic engine that India needed for rocket launches. America had refused to give the required technology to India. Nambi Narayanan was about to succeed in developing this engine; but a conspiracy was hatched against him. He was framed under the false offence of treason, put in jail and tortured severely. It should be noted that while all this happened, the Congress Government was in power at the Centre.

After many years of legal struggle, the Court acquitted Nambi Narayanan and ordered the Government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to him. His frame-up caused a great loss to India. It took many years for India to develop the Cryogenic engine that Nambi Narayanan would have succeeded in developing. This led to India facing obstacles for many decades in space research. If Nambi Narayanan had been successful then, India may have already landed a spacecraft on the Moon or conducted many such research work. This loss is far greater and irreparable than the loss to Nambi Narayanan’s personal life. Congressmen and other political parties do not open their mouth about this aspect.

Considering the views expressed by Nambi Narayanan, it appears that the present Indian Government is working to undo the harm caused. Going by the present situation, we can be certain that Indian astronauts will land on the Moon in the near future.

If the then Congress Govt. wanted to do something for space research, ISRO would not have been in such a situation !