Why must scientists get all the attention?
Updated On: 23 September, 2023 07:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Lindsay Pereira
Coverage of our recent moon landing proved that we don’t focus on politicians who do all the real work
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ISRO scientists in Bengaluru on August 26. File pic/PTI
Let me begin by saying that I am as proud of Chandrayaan-3 as the next person. I must be explicit about this because to not be proud of the moon landing mission is to risk being accused of treachery. As we all know, anyone who doesn’t applaud when India or Indians accomplish something must be labelled as anti-national and invited to move out to a neighbouring country. So, to reiterate, I am probably prouder of the Chandrayaan-3 mission than most other people I know. I would go a step further and say that I am prouder than the people in charge of monitoring it.
With that declaration out of the way, here’s the point I really wanted to make: I am proud, but also unhappy about one thing. I don’t like how coverage of the moon landing ended up spending more time on Indian Space Research Organisation scientists than on the people genuinely responsible for this achievement. I speak, obviously, of our politicians. Where were they, I asked myself time and again, as I switched between news channels looking for a sign from Rashtrapati Bhavan. Why were they not on screen as much or more than that tiny space capsule was? What was the point of showing us something landing on the moon’s surface without more footage of our ministers applauding?
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