THE credit war now being witnessed between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition parties over the success of the country’s space programme, is very unfortunate, to say the least. The issues that are being raised as part of the churlish debate are truly petty in nature and demonstrate the low levels of intellectual inputs in India’s political discourse. As a voice of people of India, we at ‘The Hitavada’ appeal to all the parties to the debate to desist from the shallowness in their respective arguments about who should be given the credit for the stupendous success of India’s space programme that is the outcome of the vision of many personages including those in positions of power in politics and science and technology. The credit, therefore, should go to all those who have made their serious direct or indirect contributions to the success of Chandrayaan-3 and all the campaigns and launches beforehand. By this token, the debate is useless because it skirts the truth and seeks to impose one-sided narrative on the country. There should be no doubt that India’s space programme always had the backing of the Government, no matter the size of the political will or the economic inputs. The early Governments in Independent India did not ever say ‘no’ to the space programme, though their overall understanding about its need and practical utility was actually quite limited, thanks to their ideological reservations and political compulsions. Enough evidence is available to show how the early leaders of the space programme went about bureaucratic offices begging for money to continue with the accepted national vision.

 

Despite those difficulties, the space programme initiated and spearheaded by the visionary Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and his band of close associates kept up their resolve and pushed the space initiatives to the best extent possible. The progress, of course, was excruciatingly slow, but the wheels nevertheless never stopped moving. But then, that the overall condition with India’s romance with modern science and technology in every domain. The people in power were slow in their response to the call of modern science in a modern State. That was the reason why the Government took as many as 22 years after Independence to form the Indian Space Research Organisation -- on August 15, 1969. Enough evidence is available to prove that in its early years, the ISRO fought hard for resources of money and manpower and got those only in pinches and never in chunks. Though the people in political power in those days showed a politically-motivated cosmetic interest in space programme, senior scientists often rued the fact that they were being treated as second class citizens by the country’s political leadership and bureaucratic community. The actual push to India’s space programme came only in the past quarter of a century when the political leadership of a different ideological bent took over.

 

It was then that cosmetic interest in space programme was changed to a genuine and active participation by the Government in all scientific endeavours. Enough statistical evidence is available to prove this point. The most important clue to this comes in the documented timeline of various scientific achievement of the country since Independence. It shows that earlier sluggishness was replaced by quick response from people of stronger political will taking over the reins of the Government. In this context, it is futile to take specific names of leaders in the Government -- since that will lend an unnecessary political tilt to our argument. But suffice it is to say that India’s early Prime Ministers did take some interest in promoting science and technology but more or less remained nonchalant towards that emerging field; their interest remaining in tune with their political expediency from time to time. This trend started changing after the independent Indian State reached its 50-year milestone. Thereafter, the political powers that be started taking a greater interest in Indian sciences and research and development started getting a greater push. The current condition, however, started making its presence felt only about ten years ago when the people in power understood the actual importance of science and its applications in real life in different domains including space. The actual interest the people in power showed in growth of science as a potent tool in hands of the nation grew phenomenally only in the last ten years. Some interesting points in the nation’s timeline of scientific progress speak volumes. For example, the Chandrayaan project was announced first on August 15, 2003. The records also show that the number of foreign satellites launched by India in the last 8-9 years is at least four times more than the numbers in the previous 10 years.

 

The difference in financial allocation to space programmes in the last 8-9 years also shows a marked increase from the levels of the 10-year period earlier. Yet, it must be understood without any confusion that every nation in the world has seen such spells in different domains. India also has had its own share of ups and downs in the field of science and technology. But nothing of this should prompt anybody to take the credit for the progress and blame others for not making effort. In a nation’s journey of development, speed of travel often changes as per the existing conditions. Nothing of that, however, indicates anything for which blame should be apportioned for a deliberate lapse. These are the hiccups that every nation suffers from -- and India is no exception. It is obvious, thus, that the current credit war for the success of Chandrayaan-3 is totally futile and must be stopped immediately.